New Hampshire
New Hampshire bans body mutilating sex-change surgeries for under-18s, boys from girls' sports
New Hampshire has become the latest state to ban body-mutilating sex-change surgeries from being performed on minors and prohibit boys from competing in girls-only sports and athletic competitions.
More than half of the states across the U.S. have passed laws banning experimental trans procedures from being performed on youth or have banned men and boys from competing in women’s sports, or both.
On Monday, New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed House Bill 619 and House Bill 1205 into law. House Bill 619, passed by the Republican-controlled New Hampshire House of Representatives in a 199-175 vote and the Republican-controlled Senate in a 13-10 vote, prohibits doctors from performing sex-change surgeries on children and teens exhibiting gender dysphoria. It is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
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For the most part, support for the legislation came down along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor of it and nearly all Democrats opposing it. No member of the New Hampshire Senate broke from their party, while 14 Democrats in the New Hampshire House supported the measure and three Republicans opposed it. Unlike similar laws passed in many other states, the legislation does not prohibit prescribing body-deforming puberty blockers or opposite-sex hormones to children and teens suffering from confusion about the sex.
New Hampshire joins 25 other states that have banned the some or all trans-procedures from being performed on minors younger than 18. The other states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The push to prohibit surgeons from performing body-mutilating trans surgeries, such as castration and elective hysterectomies, comes amid concerns about the lifelong physical, mental and emotional trauma that comes which such procedures being performed on otherwise healthy youth. As Sununu said in a statement announcing his approval of the bill, “There is a reason that countries across the world — from Sweden to Norway, France, and the United Kingdom — have taken steps to pause these procedures and policies.”
Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who once self-identified as male but saw her gender dysphoria subside as she got older, has emerged as one of the most prominent voices advocating against performing such body-deforming procedures on children and teens.
A lawsuit filed last year details how Cole experienced suicidal thoughts after having an elective surgery to remove her breasts as a young girl in an attempt to look more like a boy. She said the rush to “affirm” her as a boy and perform irreversible cosmetic surgeries left “deep physical and emotional wounds, severe regrets, and distrust of the medical system.”
The other bill approved by Sununu, House Bill 1205, prohibits trans-identified male student athletes in grades 5-12 from competing in girls’ sports. The measure was approved by the New Hampshire House of Representatives in a 189-182 vote, while the Senate passed it 13-10 earlier this year. It is slated to take effect 30 days after passage.
As with House Bill 619, support for the legislation fell along party lines in the Senate. However, one House Republican broke with her party to oppose it and one House Democrat broke with his party to support it.
New Hampshire joins 25 additional states that have implemented laws and/or regulations requiring athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond with their sex instead of the self-declared, chosen gender identity: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Efforts to ensure that only females compete in women’s sports stem from concerns about how the biological differences between men and women give men and boys an unfair advantage when it comes to athletics.
Anecdotal evidence of trans-identified male athletes breaking women’s sports records when competing on women’s sports teams, most notably in the case of former collegiate swimmer Lia (Will) Thomas, has served as a call to action for state legislatures.
A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that males’ advantages over females in athletics do not diminish even after two years of taking feminizing hormones.
Sununu praised the bills he signed into law as “commonsense, bipartisan solutions that reflect the values of parents across our state.”
He added, “The vast majority of Granite Staters share in this approach — because it is fair, balanced, and void of political considerations. By enacting these measures, we continue to uphold the principles of safety, fairness, and common sense for all our citizens.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
The federal government has activated the New Hampshire National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing in connection with the war with Iran.
“I’ve had a briefing myself, a classified briefing, but it’s really important on the messaging on this that we really coordinate with the Pentagon,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte told reporters during a press briefing following Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting.
Ayotte said she was unable to share additional details about the nature of the New Hampshire National Guard’s activity related to the conflict, including how many guard members have been activated or what role they are playing.
“We’re going to respect what messaging comes out of the Pentagon just to make sure that our men and women in uniform are fully protected and that we aren’t providing any information that could be used in a way that would be harmful to them,” Ayotte said.
In a statement Thursday, Ayotte said the unit had been deployed in late February to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of the operation.
Earlier this week, Pentagon officials confirmed that members of the Vermont National Guard were involved in attacks against Iran over the weekend, though our news partners at Vermont Public were not able to confirm additional details on the nature of the operation.
During the briefing with local reporters, Ayotte also stressed her support for servicemembers and those close to them.
“I have such respect for our men and women in uniform,” Ayotte said. “As you know, I come from a military family, and they have our full support, and we appreciate them and their families, and obviously anyone who is serving right now, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost someone that they love.”
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – While Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said she opposes increasing highway toll rates across the state, the Senate voted Thursday to increase rates for out-of-state license plate holders.
It now goes to the House for consideration.
This would be a $1 increase for those who have out of state plates going through the tolls at Hooksett, Hampton and Bedford for out-of-state plates, a 75 cent hike for those taking Hampton’s Exit 2 and on the Spaulding turnpike at Rochester, and a 50 cent hike for those taking the exit off I-93 to Hooksett.
An analysis in the bill shows that this would increase toll revenue by $53.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and go up each year to generate $81.4 million a year in 2036.
Senate Bill 627 passed on a voice vote with two Republicans, Senators Regina Birdsell of Hampstead and William Gannon of Sandown opposing.
Senator Mark E. McConkey, R-Freedom, moved to take the bill off the table and offered an amendment.
He said the last time there was a systemwide increase to the turnpike toll was 19 years ago.
“I am sure we could all agree the cost of operations…has continued to escalate when revenue is not rising with it,” and he noted that with an enterprise fund, the state can only spend what it takes in.
The state has just completed a 10-year highway plan and there was a $400 million shortfall in projects that could not be paid for under the current income.
McConkey said the measure would not increase tolls for New Hampshire drivers with a state license plate.
“Why don’t we ask our neighbors,” to pay a toll increase. “We are getting the best of all worlds,” by passing the bill, he said, including “protecting our residents” and having resources for improvements to the turnpike system.
Sen. Gannon, R-Sandown, asked McConkey if there are any studies on impacts near the border on businesses.
If implemented, McConkey said the state will be the 27th lowest in per mile cost still. McConkey said the bill would also increase from seven to 14 days the amount of time for those with NH license plates to pay for a toll adding there are other states that also have different rates for out-of-state users.
The Hampton toll cost would go from $2 to $3, while Hooksett and Bedford would rise from $1 to $2 for out-of-state plates.
New Hampshire currently has the lowest rate per mile among states with tolls roads.
The governor said she does not support a toll increase.
“We are not going to put a burden on drivers for a toll increase,” Ayotte said. “Families are struggling.”
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