Portsmouth’s City Council voted unanimously on Monday to pass a resolution protecting city workers from discrimination based on gender identity.
At present, New Hampshire is the only state in New England that does not have a similar law at the state level. That’s despite existing state laws protecting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender, race, creed, marital status, or disability.
Portsmouth’s resolution was championed by former state Rep. Jim Splaine, and included an item that would press the state to update their anti-discrimination laws.
Portsmouth is the first city in New Hampshire to protect its transgender employees from discrimination. Two-hundred municipalities have passed similar policies elsewhere in the country.