NH City Considers Becoming ‘Sanctuary’ For LGBT Community

A petition was submitted to the Keene, NH City Council during a meeting on Wednesday to recognize the city as a “sanctuary” for the LGBT community.

A letter alongside the petition was written by Keene Pride, founded by Adam Toepfer, who grew up in Keene before moving to New York City to avoid feeling “unsafe” due to homophobia in his hometown. Toepfer during the meeting called specific attention to the recently increased ICE budget nationally, which he fears may be used to discriminate against LGBT people.

The petition calls on Keene to designate itself a “sanctuary” from all violence and persecution of LGBT people.

“This is the community we should be striving for, this is the community that will show those other young LGBTQ+ kids that their community loves, welcomes, and supports them, and they don’t have to run away,” Toepfer said during the meeting.

The rest of the meeting was dominated by discussion over the petition and whether or not Keene should accept the request.

First, Keene Mayor Jay Kahn raised a concern about the use of the term “sanctuary,” considering the increased scrutiny on “sanctuary cities” across the country with regards to immigration. The term was later removed from the petition to address these concerns.

Other qualms with the petition, given voice by numerous public comments, included hurting applications to a local college, creating a division between a “protected class” and the general public, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The key complaint that came up was favoritism, as many saw a proclamation giving specific attention to the LGBT community as putting them above the rest of the community.

One speaker said this proclamation would tie Keene too closely to the LGBT community and draw too many LGBT people to the city.

Another said “God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, that’s history, because of the behaviors of this LGBT+ movement.”

“Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.. …they’re apparently very proud of their sexual aberrations,” he continued.

Many other speakers noted how the petition could help the local community.

A veteran of the 75th Ranger Regiment of the U.S. Army spoke in favor of the petition, saying they were particularly afraid of fascism coming to America after having fought against it abroad.

“I have five children, one of them is gay. He has elevated me. He has taught me understanding,” a local father said. “My son is my son, and he is afraid to visit home, and his home is Keene, New Hampshire.”

New Hampshire state Rep. Jodi Newell (D-Cheshire 4) said she had personally seen attacks in the state House against LGBT people, which she feels is why Keene Pride finds the petition justified.

Two local reverends also spoke, both in favor of the petition. One, Reverend Elsa Worth, said her daughter came out as transgender and later died by suicide.

Responding to other speakers’ concerns about favoritism, Reverend Worth said “God goes well out of God’s way to run towards those who are hurting and marginalized on the edges. And this is not called favoritism, this is called love.”