Heath Howard stands with LGBTQ+ community
As attacks on LGBTQ+ rights intensify across the country, Democratic voters should judge candidates by their records.
Among the Democratic candidates for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, Heath Howard has the strongest demonstrated record of standing with New Hampshire’s transgender community. As a state representative, he consistently opposed legislation that would have targeted transgender Granite Staters, voted against efforts to weaken anti-discrimination protections by allowing segregation based on “biological sex,” and has pledged to protect access to gender-affirming healthcare. His support has been consistent, public and demonstrated through both his votes and his advocacy, long before he became a candidate for Congress.
That is why I was deeply disappointed to see recent efforts to cast doubt on Howard’s commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. The criticism struck me as an underhanded political attack that did nothing to advance equality and everything to diminish a candidate with a proven record of defending it.
Whether it was intentional or not, those attacks serve individual political interests far more than they serve the LGBTQ+ community in New Hampshire. At a moment when transgender Granite Staters face coordinated legislative attacks, undermining one of their strongest allies is exactly the wrong priority.
If advancing LGBTQ+ rights is truly the goal, Democrats should reward demonstrated action, not political theater. Howard’s record speaks for itself.