Anti-Trans Gays are Turning New Hampshire Into the Next Transphobic Battleground

The “Live Free or Die” state may be sandwiched between some of the more liberal parts of the east coast, but that hasn’t stopped it from turning red as hell in recent months.

After Ron DeSantis released a list of his supporters yesterday, some folks were quick to take notice of a certain name on the list. That name was Joe Armstrong, an out-gay politician who apparently supports DeSantis and his anti-gay, anti-trans policies.

But that’s not the worst of it. Tomorrow, SB 272—branded by Republicans as a “parents’ bill of rights”—comes up for a vote. The bill, which the Log Cabin Republicans have come out in recent support of, would essentially force teachers to “out” transgender students to their families, with potentially violent consequences. In an AP article from March, Republican Senator Dan Innis—another out-gay Log Cabin Republican supporting DeSantis—told the press that if a student is “visibly transitioning at school or is visibly gay,” parents have a right to be informed.

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“Teachers and districts have been instructed to cover all books. And what you have is this really dystopian result, which is a school with no books.”

And all this is happening after the removal of a historical placard paying tribute to feminist activist and Communist Party leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn just two weeks after its installment.

Now New Hampshire has never been the most liberal state in the nation, but the trend in conservative gay legislators voting against trans protections paints an even bleaker picture.

Back in December, New Hampshire Republicans filed a bill that sought to forcibly transition trans children and adults. Today, HB 417—another bill that classifies gender reassignment as child abuse under the law—is still advancing.

What’s worrisome isn’t just that New Hampshire is jumping on the anti-trans bandwagon: it’s that the people vocally endorsing these anti-trans policies are gay themselves. The pick-me energy isn’t just strong: it’s straight up dangerous.