New Hampshire becomes first Republican-controlled state to pass transgender rights protections

The Republican-controlled New Hampshire legislature has passed a bill introducing rights protections for transgender people, in a rare first.

The federal Republican Party is strongly opposed to discrimination protections for LGBT people, and the Trump administration has worked to dismantle civil rights protections for transgender kids and military personnel.

However, a number of moderate Republicans in New Hampshire broke with the party consensus to back HB 1319, which would update that state’s laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public spaces to add protections on the basis of gender identity.

It now heads to the state’s governor Chris Sununu after passing with bipartisan support from both chambers of the state legislature.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 195 to 129 and the Senate by the vote of 14 to 10.

47 Republicans voted in favour in the House alongside all 145 Democrats and 3 Libertarians, while 129 Republicans voted against.

In the Senate it secured support from four Republicans and 10 Democrats, with 10 Republicans voting against.

A spokesperson for Sununu confirmed the Governor plans to sign the bill.

Linds Jakows, campaign manager of Freedom New Hampshire, the bipartisan campaign working to pass the bill, said: “Today, New Hampshire lawmakers showed tremendous leadership in support of the transgender community and their loved ones.