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 |
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 | Keene Family YMCA* | Resolve New England |
Arts in Reach | Keene Housing | ReVision Energy* |
Avalon North | Keene Housing Kids Collaborative | Rights & Democracy |
Beeze Tees | Keene Pride | Richardson Media Group |
Bi-State Primary Care Association | Kelly Smith, LICSW | Ripple Effect Studio |
Bill Maddocks Consulting LLC | Kimberly Knowlton-Young, LICSW | Riverbend Community Mental Health* |
BLM NH | KPIP Law PLLC | River's Edge salon LLC |
Brantwood Camp | Lamprey Health Care* | ROC USA, LLC |
Brown & Company Design | LISTEN Community Services | Roots Cafe & Juice Bar |
Brown Computer Solutions | Little River Farmstead | Saltwater Collective |
Building Community in New Hampshire | Littleton Food Co-op* | Sanborn Diversity Solutions |
Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee | Little Village Toy & Book Shop | Savings Bank of Walpole |
Bruss Project Management | Loftware, Inc* | Scrapp Inc |
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. | Stonyfield* |
COOS COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH SVS* | Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention | Stout Heart |
Coppertoppe Inn and Retreat | Monadnock Conservancy | Stout Oak Farm |
Cornerstone Financial Planning | Monadnock Food Co-op* | Summit Workplace Solutions |
Deep Roots Massage | Monadnock Humane Society | Sunrise Labs |
Diversity Workforce Coalition | Monadnock International Film Festival | Sustainable Futures Consulting |
Eight Legged Octopus | Moon Pool Studios | Sweaty Turtle Entertainment |
Electronic Imaging Materials Inc | Morneau Law | Teatotaller |
Elm City Coaching | MudCity Clay | The Browne Center for Innovative Learning |
Emerson St. Pottery | NAMI New Hampshire | The Center for Women and Enterprise |
Enna Chocolate | Neighborhood Access | The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth |
Equality Health Center | NEMO Equipment, Inc. | The Community Kitchen |
Full Spectrum Wellness/re-Sourced | New Directions Collaborative | The Flower Room |
Garland Mill | New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition | The Making of Self |
Get Tech Smart | New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp* | The Nest Vintage Home |
Gibson's Bookstore & Café | New Hampshire Youth Movement | The Northern Forest Center |
Girls at Work, Inc. | New Futures | The Notchland Inn |
Green Lightning Energy | New Perspective Consulting LLC | The ReFill Station |
Grim North LLC | Next Level Partnership, LLC | The Richards Group* |
Good Earth Farm | NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees | The Toadstool Bookshops |
GoodWork | NH Businesses for Social Responsibility | The Waysmeet Center and Cornucopia Food Pantry |
Granite United Way | NH Charitable Foundation | Tristate Chimney Sweepe |
Greater Monadnock Collaborative | NH Teen Institute | Thorne's of Concord |
Greater Seacoast Community Health* | Northern Pictures | 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* | Placework | Water Street Bookstore, Inc. |
Harm Reduction Circle | Planned Parenthood of Northern New England* | Waypoint* |
HELM Construction Solutions | Positive Tracks | YouthWell New Hampshire |
Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services* |
|
* Companies with over 100 employees.