The information on this page is not legal advice. Some information on this page may be out-of-date and is currently undergoing revisions. Please contact Repons GLAD with questions or for updated information.

Si ou gen kesyon sou enpak aksyon tribinal ak egzekitif ki sot pase yo sou dwa ou anba Tit IX la, vizite paj nou an. Paj Tit IX Konnen Dwa Ou yo pou aprann plis.

What are my rights as an LGBTQ+ student?

All New Hampshire public school students have the right:

  • To be safe in school without being bullied,
  • To be protected from discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
  • To access information about LGBTQ+ subjects including educational websites,
  • To dress and present yourself in a manner consistent with your gender identity,
  • To free speech and expression. This means you have the right to express ideas that may offend other people and you have the right to disagree with others, as long as you express those ideas in a respectful way.

All New Hampshire public and many private school students have the right:

  • To form a Genders & Sexualities or Gay/Straight Alliance or Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) that gets treated the same as every other non-curricular group. This means equal funding, access to facilities, and the ability to choose your group’s name.

Outside of school, you have the right:

  • To be protected from discrimination based on your actual or perceived sexual orientation, HIV status, or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations (like restaurants or stores).
  • If you are over the age of 14, to give your own consent to get tested for HIV without your parents’ permission. For more specific information, see the “HIV/AIDS” Issue Area.
  • To report to the police anyone in or out of school who physically harms you, threatens you, or vandalizes your property.

Are there any laws protecting transgender students in New Hampshire?

Yes. On July 1, 2010, the New Hampshire General Court enacted a revision to the Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention Act (see HB 1523 at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2010/HB1523.html). that specifically recognized that pupils who are LGBTQ+ or perceived to be LGBTQ+ are one of the groups that have historically been targeted for bullying. New Hampshire now has one of the strongest anti-bullying laws in the country.

The 2010 law requires that each school district and charter school adopt a written policy prohibiting bullying and cyberbullying that includes:

  • a procedure for reporting the bullying;
  • a procedure for notifying the parents or guardian of a victim within 48 hours of the incident report that can be waived if the school feels that doing so is in the best interests of the victim or perpetrator;
  • a procedure for investigating the incident in a timely manner, and, for any substantiated incident of bullying, the school must create a remediation plan that may include appropriate disciplinary action against the perpetrator, steps to reduce future incidents or retaliation and, if appropriate, offer assistance to the victim or perpetrator. The remediation plan must also be communicated to the parents or guardians of all the students involved in the incident;
  • a plan for communicating, training and educating students, staff and parents about the anti-bullying policy.

Does the New Hampshire anti-discrimination law also protect public school students?

Yes, New Hampshire law Section 354-A:27 states:

“No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public schools because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion or national origin. . .”

For more information about the New Hampshire anti-discrimination law and how to file a discrimination complaint, see the “Discrimination” Issue Area.

Èske gen lwa federal ki pwoteje elèv yo?

Yes, Title IX prohibits discrimination against students based on sex in any school or college that receives federal funds. In light of the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are forms of sex discrimination, the federal Department of Education, which enforces Title IX, has stated that it will interpret any sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination as sex discrimination.

Pou depoze yon plent nan Biwo Dwa Sivil Depatman Edikasyon federal la, gade:  Kijan pou depoze yon plent pou diskriminasyon nan Biwo pou Dwa Sivil yo.

Ou ka pote plent bay kowòdinatè Tit IX lekòl ou a, epitou bay:

Biwo Dwa Sivil yo
Depatman Edikasyon Etazini an
Biwo Lapòs ak Tribinal John W. McCormack, Sal 222
Plas Biwo Lapòs la
Boston, MA 02109

Anplis de sa, gen kèk kalite diskriminasyon ak arasman ki ka vyole dwa konstitisyonèl yon elèv.

What can I do if I’m being discriminated against at school?

Gen plizyè fason pou abòde pwoblèm nan. Youn nan fason yo se mande sipò nan men yon zanmi, yon pwofesè, oswa yon konseye epi pale ak moun k ap deranje w yo. Sepandan, sa pa yon opsyon si ou pa santi w an sekirite pou fè sa.

Gade règleman lekòl ou a epi avize nenpòt moun ki sipoze resevwa avi a—anjeneral yon vis direktè oswa yon kowòdonatè Tit IX. Ou ta dwe dokimante nenpòt ensidan arasman oswa diskriminasyon alekri avèk omwen dat ak lè a. Yon fwa ou rankontre ak ofisyèl ki apwopriye yo, ekri nòt sou sa ou te di yo ak ki dat epi mande ki lè y ap kontakte ou ak yon repons. Si yo pa ede ou oswa si yo pa swiv sa yo te di a, ou ka vle ekri direktè a ak sipèentandan an epi mande yo pou yo mete fen nan diskriminasyon an.

If this fails, you may also wish to consider legal action against the town by contacting the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights or the federal Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

Sa a se yon domèn lalwa konplike epi li difisil pou jwenn emosyon tou. Kontakte GLAD Answers lè w ranpli fòm imèl la nan Repons GLAD or by phone at 800-455-4523 (GLAD) to discuss options.