On January 22, 2025, GLAD Law and the ACLU of New Hampshire submitted testimony in opposition to NH HB273, “An act relative to a parent’s access to their minor child’s library records.” HB 273 does not increase or impact a parent’s access to their children. Instead, it imposes an onerous burden on libraries and unconstitutionally infringes the privacy and free speech of minors.  

For many LGBTQ young people, libraries are a sanctuary where their eyes can be opened to a world that they would not otherwise have words to describe. They can see reflections of their own internal struggles with identity and they can learn that a bright future awaits them, even if they do not have LGBTQ role models in their everyday life. The library can provide LGBTQ young people a path to better understanding themselves. Importantly, the library can provide them with the resources and tools they need to be able to have sensitive and important conversations with their parents at home. If these young people do not have privacy at the library, however, it will no longer be a place for many of them to safely discover and explore who they are. 

Read our testimony to learn more.