The New Hampshire House has voted to expand the state's anti-discrimination law to include transgender people.
The bill, which now goes to the Senate, would ban discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on someone's gender identity in addition to the protections that already exist based on sex, religion and sexual orientation. Lawmakers tabled a virtually identical bill last year, leaving New Hampshire the only New England state without such protections.
Supporters, including a lawmaker with a transgender grandson and a lawmaker who is agender, argued the bill was long overdue and said it could save lives by preventing suicide. Some opponents focused on the fear of predatory men molesting women and children in public restrooms, while others argued for further studying the issue.
