Welcoming Workplaces LGBTQ+
Our employees, their families and our communities thrive when each member can be their true self, making their own decisions about personal well-being. That’s the New Hampshire way. Laws that attack our LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors and families send the wrong message about what we all value, freedom for all.
An Open Letter Addressing the Slate of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills To:
State Senators
State Representatives
Governor Chris Sununu
Given the extensive slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the 2024 session, we as business and workplaces in New Hampshire, feel it is important to stand together in support of the LGBTQ community. Our companies and organizations operate state wide, contributing to job creation and providing products, services and support for New Hampshire’s communities and beyond. We strongly believe that we excel when our people can bring their authentic selves to their work and their communities. For that reason, we prioritize creating environments fostering fairness, belonging, and opportunity.
As we work together to strengthen our state’s economy, we need our leaders in Concord laser focused on solutions that address limitations in our workforce development, like the housing and child care crises, both of which affect our abilities to recruit and retain workers. Without more housing, especially workforce housing and sufficient child care options during the workday, our ability to recruit the necessary workers for our workplaces becomes very difficult. Spending time on legislation to limit freedoms is counter-productive and better spent on barriers to achieving prosperity for all.
We hope to continue to grow and thrive as companies in this state but are troubled by the drumbeat of proposed legislation in the State House that unfairly targets LGBTQ individuals, particularly transgender youth. These bills aim to limit access to essential services and restrict participation in activities such as sports and the use of public facilities. Such discriminatory measures not only harm marginalized groups, but also undermine the principles of fairness and respect, and tarnish our state’s reputation.
These laws would negatively impact our employees and their families, creating unwelcome and unsafe environments in their communities. Discriminatory policies would affect our businesses, influencing our decisions on investment and growth. They also go against the fabric of our great state and in turn make it harder for us to recruit the people we need to run our businesses and organizations.
We have found that our workers are proud to live in New Hampshire because we treat each other with respect. We appreciate the leadership Governor Sununu and the 2018 legislature demonstrated in HB 1319, protecting the rights of transgender people. Discriminatory LGBTQ policies will chip away individual rights and be yet another thing that makes it hard for businesses in this state to get the workforce we need to keep our doors open.
As signatories of this letter, we remain committed to fostering safe and inclusive environments for our employees, their families, and our communities. We call on policymakers to prioritize fairness and freedom for all Granite Staters, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected wherever they live and work. In order to ensure our workplaces can continue to grow and innovate, we ask that you stop advancing anti-LGBTQ policies and focus on helping all people achieve their full potential.
Sincerely,
350 New Hampshire | HR Synergy, LLC | Pride Toolbox |
36creative | Human Being Human, LLC | Prime Buchholz* |
900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria | Hypertherm Associates* | Prime Roast Coffee |
Alchemy & Herbs | iOffice Technologies | Proximity Lab |
Allgood Strategies LLC | Impax Asset Management* | Racial Unity Team |
Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc., (ACHS)* | JOBTALK | Reis & Kirkland |
Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust | JP Judy Johnson | Rejuvenations Professional Massage |
Antioch University* | Just Calm Down Skin & Nail Studio | Reproductive Equity Now |
Apotheca Flowers | Karen Lacharite, LLC | Resilient Buildings Group, Inc |
Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music | Keene Family YMCA* | Resolve New England |
ApprenticeshipNH | Keene Housing | ReVision Energy* |
Arts in Reach | Keene Housing Kids Collaborative | Rights & Democracy |
Avalon North | Keene Pride | Richardson Media Group |
Beeze Tees | Kelly Smith, LICSW | Ripple Effect Studio |
Bell & Goose Cheese Co. | Kimberly Knowlton-Young, LICSW | Riverbend Community Mental Health* |
Bi-State Primary Care Association | KPIP Law PLLC | River's Edge salon LLC |
Bill Maddocks Consulting LLC | Lamprey Health Care* | ROC USA, LLC |
BLM NH | LISTEN Community Services | Roots Cafe & Juice Bar |
Brantwood Camp | Little River Farmstead | Saltwater Collective |
Brown & Company Design | Littleton Food Co-op* | Sanborn Diversity Solutions |
Brown Computer Solutions | Little Village Toy & Book Shop | Savings Bank of Walpole |
Building Community in New Hampshire | Loftware, Inc* | Scrapp Inc |
Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee | Lovebirds Donuts | Seacoast Eat Local |
Bruss Project Management | Lovering Health Center | Seacoast Cryotherapy and Recovery LLC |
Camp Mowglis | Making Space Consulting | Seacoast Mental Health Center, Inc.* |
Cedarcrest* | Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center | Seacoast Outright |
Center for Life Management* | Mascoma Bank* | SHARA Vineyards |
Center for School Climate & Learning | MAYO Designs Inc. | Shire's Naturals |
Chewlin Group | MegaFood* | Social Design Strategies |
ChopShop MediaWorks | Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester* | Southwestern Community Services, Inc.* |
Clay Culture Studios | MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank)* | Spearpoint Strategies |
Communicators Group | Mill + Co. | St. John's Episcopal Church |
Community Partners of Stafford County* | Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention | Stonyfield* |
Contoocook Stoneworks, LLC | Monadnock Conservancy | Stout Heart |
COOS COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH SVS* | Monadnock Food Co-op* | Stout Oak Farm |
Coppertoppe Inn and Retreat | Monadnock Humane Society | Summit Workplace Solutions |
Cornerstone Financial Planning | Monadnock International Film Festival | Sunrise Labs |
Deep Roots Massage | Moon Pool Studios | Sustainable Futures Consulting |
Diversity Workforce Coalition | Morneau Law | Sweaty Turtle Entertainment |
Eight Legged Octopus | MudCity Clay | Teatotaller |
Electronic Imaging Materials Inc | NAMI New Hampshire | Terra Basics |
Elm City Coaching | Neighborhood Access | The Browne Center for Innovative Learning |
Emerson St. Pottery | NEMO Equipment, Inc. | The Center for Women and Enterprise |
Enna Chocolate | New Directions Collaborative | The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth |
Equality Health Center | New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition | The Community Kitchen |
Full Spectrum Wellness/re-Sourced | New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp* | The Flower Room |
Garland Mill | New Hampshire Youth Movement | The Making of Self |
Get Tech Smart | New Futures | The Nest Vintage Home |
Gibson's Bookstore & Café | New Perspective Consulting LLC | The Northern Forest Center |
Girls at Work, Inc. | Next Level Partnership, LLC | The Notchland Inn |
Green Lightning Energy | NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees | The ReFill Station |
Grim North LLC | NH Businesses for Social Responsibility | The Richards Group* |
Good Earth Farm | NH Charitable Foundation | The Toadstool Bookshops |
GoodWork | NH Teen Institute | The Waysmeet Center and Cornucopia Food Pantry |
Granite United Way | Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH) | Tristate Chimney Sweepe |
Greater Monadnock Collaborative | Northern Pictures | Thorne's of Concord |
Greater Seacoast Community Health* | One Earth Body Care | Turnage Barbershop |
Green Wave Electric Vehicles | PMAC - Portsmouth Music and Arts Center | Upper Valley Haven |
Grim North LLC | Paragon Digital Marketing | Unchartered.org |
Hair By Monica | Penumbra | Urban Soul Boutique |
Hannah Grimes Center, Inc. | Persimmon Consulting, LLC | Vital Communities |
Hanover Co-op Food Stores & Auto Service Centers of NH & VT* | Phin | W.S. Badger Company, Inc |
Harbor Care* | Pete and Gerry's Organics, LLC* | Water Street Bookstore, Inc. |
Harm Reduction Circle | Placework | Waypoint* |
HELM Construction Solutions | Planned Parenthood of Northern New England* | YouthWell New Hampshire |
Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services* | Positive Tracks |
* Companies with over 100 employees.