Who’s in the Room Matters
Let’s be honest: New Hampshire’s Legislature doesn’t quite look like New Hampshire and that matters.
When decisions about our lives are made by people who don’t share our experiences, the results are policies that fail us or worse… actively harm us.
For example, a recent law made it easier for landlords to evict tenants without cause. A change some say will create a highway to homelessness for many Granite Staters. Too often, the people writing our housing laws don’t share the experiences of renters struggling to afford a home. How differently do you think the vote for this bill and other bills like it might look if the ones voting were renters like many Granite Staters are.
This is what happens when decision-makers don’t share the lived experiences of those they represent. We don’t just see this in housing. We see this again and again from healthcare to education to reproductive rights and workers’ protections. Bills get passed that reflect the interests of the few and not the needs of the many.
It doesn’t have to stay that way.
Representation is power. And when the people with lived experiences like renters, parents, students, teachers, LGBTQ+ communities, BIPOC communities and others are in the room, the conversations change.
603 Forward and The Forward Foundation are continuing this important conversation, highlighting how representation shapes policy outcomes and building civic spaces where new voices can step forward. By naming how legislators act on issues that affect our communities, we can hold them accountable and ensure Granite Staters know what’s at stake.
Yes, we have to hold our legislators accountable but just as importantly, we need legislators who will implement the changes we’ve been calling for. Changes like affordable housing, fair wages, healthcare access and a government that works for all of us and not just the few.
Our upcoming gathering, Real Talk: Our Voices in Office on Saturday, November 15th at 1pm at the YWCA in Manchester, is just one of the ways we are exploring. This gathering is a space to connect, get real about what’s happening in our state, and explore what leadership looks like when it’s rooted in lived experience.
If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t see anyone like me in office,” you're right. And that’s exactly why we need you. We need your voice to hold our legislators accountable and we need your voice to support those that are.
