CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Some New Hampshire residents feel the state doesn’t offer a welcoming environment for everyone and the governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion recommended Thursday that officials should review the holidays the state observes and include gender identity in several anti-discrimination statutes.
Following a series of meetings, the panel issued a preliminary report which said some residents complained New Hampshire fails to acknowledge or celebrate identities and cultural events for some racial and ethnic groups.
For example, it noted that the state doesn’t recognize Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States. The advisory council said most states acknowledge Juneteenth in some way, either as a holiday, day of observance or through ceremonies.
The council said community members have been less inclined to discuss gender identity, sexual orientation and religious beliefs, and its meetings have not encompassed those issues, which it had hoped to discuss. It said it plans to hold online discussions and meet with specific groups.
“Discussions at the listening sessions to date have tended to center on race and immigration, which are undoubtedly important topics, but do not comprise the entirety of the council’s charge,” the report said.
Another recommendation was to include gender identity as a protected class in several anti-discrimination statutes. In March, the Legislature voted to expand New Hampshire anti-discrimination law to include transgender people, but there are several statutes that do not expressly mention gender identity, according to the report.
The council was formed following several racial incidents in the past year, including the near hanging of a biracial boy in Claremont. It has held community meetings this year in Durham, Portsmouth and Claremont to talk to residents about their experiences with discrimination living in New Hampshire.
The panel plans to host more forums before the year is over and to make recommendations to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
“The council has been encouraged by some participants, especially city officials and community members from Claremont, who have demonstrated a commendable commitment to self-reflection, self-critique and self-improvement,” the report said.
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