BOSTON, Mass. — Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and TransGender New Hampshire (TG-NH) are pleased to announce the publication of We Are New Hampshire: Transgender Lives in the Granite State, a collection of 10 stories about local transgender people and their families. The book reveals the fullness of their lives and highlights the challenges transgender residents of New Hampshire and their families face as they seek to live genuinely and with dignity. The book is intended as an educational resource for policy makers and the general public.
The stories and other educational information contained in the book are also available at the companion website, www.glad.org/nh-stories.
“We are a part of the New Hampshire community, and we have family and friends who love and support us,” said Mason Dunn, a TG-NH Steering Committee member who is profiled in the book. “But we continue to face bias and discrimination in employment and elsewhere due to widespread misunderstanding about who we really are, and the lack of statewide legal protections. This book will go a long way toward educating Granite Staters about the joys and hardships their transgender neighbors and co-workers experience so we can make New Hampshire a more welcoming place for all of its residents.”
In addition to Dunn, readers will meet people like Muriel Pierce, a Somersworth schoolteacher whose pride in her transgender son’s courage and integrity is tempered by her fear that he could be subject to violence and hostility simply because of who he is; Kaden and Brittany, young parents who encountered intrusive questions and inappropriate behavior from co-workers and supervisors because Kaden is transgender; and Cynthia Tebbetts, whose longtime employer helped her transition successfully in the workplace.
“The stories in We Are New Hampshire: Transgender Lives in the Granite State show that transgender people want the same things that all Granite Staters want: to live peacefully, without fear of discrimination or violence; to get a good education; the means to provide for themselves and their families; and a safe place to live,” said GLAD Attorney Janson Wu. “New Hampshire is the only New England state that does not have laws protecting its transgender residents from discrimination. We know there is much work to be done to educate the New Hampshire community about why these protections are needed. This book is another step toward that goal.”
The book is free and will be distributed through TG-NH, GLAD and other allied organizations and individuals.
Many of the people who shared their stories in We Are New Hampshire: Transgender Lives in the Granite State are available for media interviews. Contact Laura Kiritsy at 617-426-1350 or lkiritsy@glad.org.
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.
TransGender New Hampshire promotes transgender visibility, education, support and civil rights in the state of New Hampshire. TG-NH provides resources, community building, educational programs and advocacy to assist transgender NH residents, significant others, friends, families, allies and helping professionals.
