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 | Positive Tracks |
36creative | Human Being Human, LLC | Pride Toolbox |
900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria | Hypertherm Associates* | Prime Buchholz* |
Alchemy & Herbs | iOffice Technologies | Prime Roast Coffee |
Allgood Strategies LLC | Impax Asset Management* | Proximity Lab |
Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc., (ACHS)* | International Mountain Climbing School | Racial Unity Team |
Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust | JOBTALK | Reis & Kirkland |
Antioch University* | JP Judy Johnson | Rejuvenations Professional Massage |
Apotheca Flowers | Just Calm Down Skin & Nail Studio | Reproductive Equity Now |
Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music | Karen Lacharite, LLC | Resilient Buildings Group, Inc |
ApprenticeshipNH | Kearsarge Food Hub | Resolve New England |
Arts in Reach | Keene Family YMCA* | ReVision Energy* |
Avalon North | Keene Housing | Rights & Democracy |
Beeze Tees | Keene Housing Kids Collaborative | Richardson Media Group |
Bell & Goose Cheese Co. | Keene Pride | Ripple Effect Studio |
Bi-State Primary Care Association | Kelly Smith, LICSW | Riverbend Community Mental Health* |
Bill Maddocks Consulting LLC | Kimberly Knowlton-Young, LICSW | River's Edge salon LLC |
BLM NH | KPIP Law PLLC | ROC USA, LLC |
Brantwood Camp | Lamprey Health Care* | Roots Cafe & Juice Bar |
Brown & Company Design | LISTEN Community Services | Saltwater Collective |
Brown Computer Solutions | Little River Farmstead | Sanborn Diversity Solutions |
Building Community in New Hampshire | Littleton Food Co-op* | Savings Bank of Walpole |
Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee | Little Village Toy & Book Shop | Scrapp Inc |
Bruss Project Management | Loftware, Inc* | Seacoast Eat Local |
Camp Mowglis | Lovebirds Donuts | Seacoast Cryotherapy and Recovery LLC |
Cedarcrest* | Lovering Health Center | Seacoast Mental Health Center, Inc.* |
Center for Life Management* | Making Space Consulting | Seacoast Outright |
Center for School Climate & Learning | Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center | SHARA Vineyards |
Chewlin Group | Mascoma Bank* | Shire's Naturals |
ChopShop MediaWorks | MAYO Designs Inc. | Social Design Strategies |
Clay Culture Studios | MegaFood* | Southwestern Community Services, Inc.* |
Communicators Group | Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester* | Spearpoint Strategies |
Community Partners of Stafford County* | MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank)* | St. John's Episcopal Church |
Contoocook Stoneworks, LLC | Mill + Co. | Star Island Corporation |
COOS COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH SVS* | Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention | Stonyfield* |
Coppertoppe Inn and Retreat | Monadnock Conservancy | Stout Heart |
Cornerstone Financial Planning | Monadnock Food Co-op* | Stout Oak Farm |
Deep Roots Massage | Monadnock Humane Society | Summit Workplace Solutions |
Diversity Workforce Coalition | Monadnock International Film Festival | Sunrise Labs |
Eight Legged Octopus | Moon Pool Studios | Sustainable Futures Consulting |
Electronic Imaging Materials Inc | Morneau Law | Sweaty Turtle Entertainment |
Elm City Coaching | MudCity Clay | Teatotaller |
Emerson St. Pottery | NAMI New Hampshire | Terra Basics |
Enna Chocolate | Neighborhood Access | The Browne Center for Innovative Learning |
Equality Health Center | NEMO Equipment, Inc. | The Center for Women and Enterprise |
Full Spectrum Wellness/re-Sourced | New Directions Collaborative | The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth |
Garland Mill | New Hampshire Environmental Educators | The Community Kitchen |
Get Tech Smart | New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition | The Flower Room |
Gibson's Bookstore & Café | New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp* | The Making of Self |
Girls at Work, Inc. | New Hampshire Youth Movement | The Nest Vintage Home |
Green Lightning Energy | New Futures | The Northern Forest Center |
Grim North LLC | New Perspective Consulting LLC | The Notchland Inn |
Good Earth Farm | Next Level Partnership, LLC | The ReFill Station |
GoodWork | NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees | The Richards Group* |
Granite United Way | NH Businesses for Social Responsibility | The Toadstool Bookshops |
Greater Monadnock Collaborative | NH Charitable Foundation | The Waysmeet Center and Cornucopia Food Pantry |
Greater Seacoast Community Health* | NH Teen Institute | Tristate Chimney Sweepe |
Green Wave Electric Vehicles | Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH) | Thorne's of Concord |
Grim North LLC | Northern Pictures | Turnage Barbershop |
Hair By Monica | NoteWorthy Homes Team | Upper Valley Haven |
Hannah Grimes Center, Inc. | One Earth Body Care | Unchartered.org |
Hanover Co-op Food Stores & Auto Service Centers of NH & VT* | PMAC - Portsmouth Music and Arts Center | Urban Soul Boutique |
Harbor Care* | Paragon Digital Marketing | Vital Communities |
Harm Reduction Circle | Penumbra | W.S. Badger Company, Inc |
HELM Construction Solutions | Persimmon Consulting, LLC | Water Street Bookstore, Inc. |
Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services* | Phin | Waypoint* |
Pete and Gerry's Organics, LLC* | YouthWell New Hampshire | |
Placework |
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Planned Parenthood of Northern New England* |
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* Companies with over 100 employees.