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Know Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student

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What are my rights in a public or private school?

All New Hampshire public school students have the right:

  • To be safe in school without being bullied,
  • To access information about LGBTQ subjects including educational website,
  • 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 some private school students have the right:

  • To be protected from discrimination or harassment based on gender or HIV status,
  • To be protected from sexual harassment,
  • To form a 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.

What are my rights outside school?

Outside of school you have the right:

  • To be protected from discrimination based on your actual or perceived sexual orientation, HIV status, or sex in employment, housing, and public accommodations (like restaurants or stores). There is currently no protection in New Hampshire law that specifically states it is for “transgender person.” In some cases, a transgender person might be protected based on sexual orientation, sex or disability. Discrimination based on those things are not allowed.
  • To give your own consent to get tested for HIV without your parents’ permission if you are over age 14. A doctor does not have to, but may, tell a parent or legal guardian about a positive test result if you are under 18. If confidentiality is important to you, talk to your doctor before the test and understand their policy on this issue.
  • To report to the police anyone in or out of school who physically harms you, threatens you, or vandalizes your property.

What do I do if I am harassed, bullied or discriminated against?

  • Tell somebody – friends, family, teachers, counselors.
  • Keep notes on what is happening – who, when, where and how.
  • Get a copy of your school’s policies on student conduct and discipline.
  • Report it to the person stated in the school policy – do it in writing or electronically so you can prove you reported it.

Where can I get help?

SUICIDE HOTLINE (National) 1-800-273-8255

  1. GLAD Free and totally confidential 1-on-1 help.

Email or live chat:www.GladAnswers.org or

800-455-GLAD (4523).

  1. New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights:

Email: humanrights@nhsa.state.nh.us

603-271-2767

https://www.nh.gov/hrc/

  1. Department of Children, Youth and Families

(800) 894-5533 (in-state) or (603) 271-6562

https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcyf/ 

  1. New Hampshire Department of Education

101 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3860

General e-mail: info@doe.nh.gov

Main Number: (603) 271-3494

Fax (603) 271-1953

https://www.education.nh.gov/

  1. U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

Boston Office (covering New Hampshire):

Office for Civil Rights

US Department of Education

8th Floor

5 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02109-3921

Email: OCR.Boston@ed.gov

617-289-0111

1-800-421-3481 to report discrimination

FAX: 617-289-0150; TDD: 800-877-8339

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html

Local NH LGBTQ Youth Groups

  1. Concord Outright

Concord Outright

PO Box 4064

Concord, NH 03302

Email concordoutright@nhftm.org

(603) 223-0309

http://www.nhftm.org/Xtras/ConcordOutrightWebpage.htm

 

  1. Manchester Outright

PO Box 492

Manchester NH 03105

(603) 537-7004

 

  1. Seacoast Outright

Office: 25 Highland Street

Portsmouth, NH 03801​

Mailing: PO Box 842

Portsmouth, NH 03802

Email:  jessd@seacoastoutright.org

603-552-5824

http://www.seacoastoutright.org/

 

  1. Youth Guardian Services

http://www.youth-guard.org/

Resources

New Hampshire’s anti-bullying law: RSA 193-F

GLAD’s New Hampshire Students’ Rights webpage

GLAD's pamphlet "Want to Know Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student?"

 

 

Author: 
GLAD/Revised by LARC July 2017

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