Michelle Veasey is the executive director of New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility. This My Turn is submitted on behalf of New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) and the 190+ employers listed at nhbsr.org/lgbtq.

Given the slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that recently passed the N.H. Legislature, I am writing today on behalf of more than 190 businesses across the Granite State that feel it is important to stand together in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Our companies and organizations, which span energy, finance, education, health care, hospitality, housing, economic development and other sectors, operate statewide, 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, and we encourage Gov. Chris Sununu to do the same by vetoing these misguided, discriminatory bills.

As we work together to strengthen our state’s economy, we need Gov. Sununu and other leaders in Concord laser-focused on solutions that address limitations in our workforce development, like the housing and childcare crises, both of which affect our abilities to recruit and retain workers. Without more housing, especially workforce housing and insufficient childcare 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 bills passed by the Legislature that unfairly target 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 Gov. Sununu and the 2018 legislature demonstrated in HB 1319, protecting the rights of transgender people. If the governor signs discriminatory LGBTQ policies, it 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 New Hampshire businesses and employers, we remain committed to fostering safe and inclusive environments for our employees, their families, and our communities. We call on Gov. Sununu to prioritize fairness and freedom for all Granite Staters, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected wherever they live and work.

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In order to ensure our workplaces can continue to grow and innovate, we ask that he veto these anti-LGBTQ proposals and focus on helping all people achieve their full potential.