HB1217

I am a registered New Hampshire voter, asking you to OPPOSE this bill. Thank you.

HB1217 is classic government overreach, a controlling and invasive bill that has no place in a state that claims to value personal freedom. Anyone honestly concerned with women's safety should be against a bill that targets and demonizes women based on gender experience. Anyone who really cares about equality would not buy into nonsense and restrictive "gender definitions" based on junk science.

I oppose this bill because it goes against the principles of our state. “Live free or die” is often taken out of context. Approving this bill is not only a waste of my taxpayer dollars but is oxymoronic to our states motto. Never once have I felt uncomfortable using the restroom of another gender or sexual orientation. It’s unfair and unsafe for our trans community members to be subjected to using their assigned at birth restroom. Some people are so well passing that it would cause further issues having someone who entirely looks and presents as a man entering and using the women’s restroom.

I vehemently oppose HB 1217. This bill seeks to add one more brick to the wall of discrimination against transgender people. It clearly discriminates against transgender people and puts their lives in danger. It is also ignorant: simply requesting to categorize people by biological sex does not take into account that biological sex is not binary. As the American Society for Reproductive Medicine states, "Such proposals to define sex into two easily determined categories are unsupported by science and oversimplify the intricate nature of human biology." Open your minds. Learn how to have difficult conversations and get to know people in the transgender community. Develop empathy and understanding. Do not pass HB 1217.

Not appropriate!

This bill is attempting to shut out transgender people from public life when they have committed no crime. There is no compelling argument that this will improve safety. Instead, it will result in real harm to transgender people, intersex people, and anyone else who is suspected of falling into those categories.

I James Karoutsos of Manchester, NH oppose this bill.

There is no reason for laws to dictate what bathroom someone is allowed to use. This law will put trans people AND cis women in danger or being outted, accosted, and harassed for the perception of their genitals and how they present themselves. People would be encouraged to "check" someone and strips trans people of their right to privacy.

Legislation that creates barriers for transgender and nonbinary individuals undermines the values of inclusion and equity that are central to the principles of our state and country. These proposals are framed as safety measures, but research studies show that transgender and nonbinary students who face restrictions in accessing facilities actually experience significantly higher rates of sexual assault. Policies like these shape whether individuals feel safe enough to participate in daily life. These bills do not protect – they perpetuate fear, stigma and isolation.

Key reasons to oppose HB 1217 include: - Reduction in Housing Supply: By limiting rental income, critics argue the bill discourages the construction of new rental units and investment in existing properties. - Maintenance Decline: Landlords may not have the necessary funds to maintain or improve properties if rent increases are strictly capped. - Economic Disincentive: Opponents argue that rent caps do not address the core issue of a housing supply shortage and could, over time, lead to higher rents for new tenants. - Market Inflexibility: The 7% cap is seen by some, such as the Washington Landlord Association, as an arbitrary limit that does not account for specific property operating costs. Key Fiscal Reasons to Oppose HB 1217: - Discourages Investment and Maintenance: Landlords may not be able to turn a profit or cover rising operational expenses if rent increases are capped, leading to deferred maintenance and reduced investment in new housing. - Reduced Property Tax Revenue: If landlords are unable to cover costs and properties become less profitable, it could lead to reduced valuation and, consequently, lower property tax revenue for cities and towns. Encourages Immediate Rent Hikes: The anticipation of a cap might lead landlords to immediately raise rents to the maximum allowed (7%), causing "unnecessary" rent hikes. - Potential for Market Distortion: Opponents argue that capping rents "messes with the market" and may not solve the underlying housing supply crisis, potentially worsening the situation by creating a disincentive for development.

Just stay OUT OF THE BATHROOMS. Trans people are NOT the danger.

Dear members of the House Judiciary, I’m writing in opposition to discriminatory bills aimed at transgender, non-binary, and intersex folks by way of defining policy based on “biological sex”. Organizations like the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health all recognize that gender diversity is part of natural human variation. Gender is not a simplistic binary switch—it’s shaped by genetics, prenatal hormone exposure, neurodevelopment, culture, and personal identity. Human biology is messy. Intersex variations exist. Brain diversity exists. The idea that everyone fits neatly into rigid categories is scientifically outdated and false. I urge you to stop the targeting the rights of a minority group and making their lives harder. We need lawmakers to focus on solving actual issues that will help the citizens of NH. Thank you for your consideration, Theresa Vaillancourt Goffstown, NH

As the child of a biracial couple who has faced severe discrimination, I am disgusted that my state would entertain denying a marginalized group the basic dignity to be treated fairly as members of our community. This law not only goes against basic sociology: gender and sex do not line up perfectly with every person. It ignores the reality that protecting the trans community from harassment and harm necessarily requires they be allowed to use the facilities of their identified gender. The insistence that trans women don't belong in female facilities becomes absurd for one simple reason: trans men and nonbinary individuals exist in almost equal amounts. You would force one group out of these areas to force another back in, gaining nothing but mistreatment in the process. It ignores the simple fact that we already have assault laws on the books, and singles out a group of humans who have overwhelmingly received harassment and harm in these recent years. It also ignores history. It ignores the generations of feminism that have already had this conversation with regards to black women, the lesbian community, the intersex community, and various other groups who went through the exact same struggle you now put in front of the trans community. Facilities bear no sexual or ideological purpose. Bathrooms are for simple biological realities of all genders, born of necessity. To imply trans people have breached some sensibility by using the facilities of their gender is to assume some greater purpose that the law does not already cover. At best, it is redundant. At worst it is disgustingly harmful. I oppose vehemently and strongly urge the committee to vote ITL

I am in opposition to HB 1217 because this bill opens the door to discrimination against transgender and nonbinary New Hampshire residents by codifying biological sex as a basis for classification in state law. The nondescript and vague language of this bill will be used to exclude transgender people from public life in ways that are humiliating, harmful, and constitutionally suspect. New Hampshire has long prided itself on being the Live Free or Die state; that principle should extend to all of its residents. I urge this committee to vote Inexpedient to Legislate.

This is discrimination. Please oppose. Thank you.

Please OPPOSE HB1217. The bill further alienates and marginalizes transgender people. It's not the NH way to demonstrate this sort of hate. It's very disappointing and hurtful.

This is another discriminatory bill that demonized trans people and does nothing to protect women.

Really? Five separate bills today all with the aim of discrimination. This first one, unlike some of the ones that are coming after it later in the day, doesn't even pretend that this isn't just discrimination. Is this the Live Free Or Die state? I could've sworn that was the state motto. I was born and raised in this state. i have never lived anywhere else. I've always felt as though I could truly be myself here and I don't intend to let that change. These bills are not genuinely, at their hearts, about keeping public or private spaces safe. They are about fear. I understand that it can be hard to understand a community that you're not a part of and don't necessarily have a connection to. But that fear doesn't absolve you from attempting to legislate a minority population out of existence. And such attempts will not be successful. Gay, queer, trans, and gender nonconforming people will continue to exist; beyond what these pieces of legislation attempt to tell us about our existence.

I strongly oppose this bill. This is New Hampshire where we live free or die and where we know how to respect other people’s privacy. Stop trying to legislate ways to be able to demand to check other people’s private parts. Let Granite Staters who are Trans live their lives in peace.

This bill will lead to many different people being harassed about their gender and asked to “prove” to others that they belong in a particular bathroom. It is discriminatory and opens the state up to legal liability. It will likely be challenged in court, costing valuable state resources that are needed elsewhere.

I oppose this bill.

I oppose HB1217 because it is inherently discriminatory against transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals even though it states, that "[this law] shall not constitute unlawful discrimination". TGNC individuals often face threats of violence and discrimination. Research shows that 70% of TGNC individuals have experienced discrimination regarding bathroom use including verbal abuse and threats of violence. It has also been found that cisgender people especially cis women face increased harassment and violence in instances of bathroom bans if they do not conform to traditional standards of femininity. TGNC individuals while a growing population, do not make up a large percentage of the population (less than 5% according to data from 2023) and this bill and others like it feel unnecessary to single out a minority population that is often a target of violence themselves. As a therapist I have seen the effects of individuals experiencing discrimination and the benefits of being in a supportive environment. In addition to bathroom discrimination and violence, there is also the concern about the same happening in sports, but statistics show that there is also a small portion of TGNC people participating in sports (for example, out of 500,000 athletes only 10 are transgender in the NCAA) but that media portrayals have singled out and created high profile attention on a small number of situations to create the illusion of a non-existent issue. While more research is needed, studies have been found to show that transwomen have similar testosterone and lower jump height when compared to ciswomen and the only advantage was shown in grip strength. Please do not support a bill that is discriminatory, unnecessary, and dangerous to the safety of many youth and adults in NH

I am strongly OPPOSED to this bill. Why are you wasting all this legislative time on trying to regulate GENDER. Bathroom bills that have been veto'd THREE times. There are far more important issues that affect the citizens of this state. Drop this nonsense. Vote no on this bill.