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NH State Tourism Website Promotes LGBQT Events Featuring Programming for Young Children
- Chris Thompson
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
CONCORD, N.H. — The State of New Hampshire’s official tourism website is actively promoting Pride events across the state, including Portsmouth Pride, which features children’s programming and is hosted by NH Outright—an organization that also runs a group for LGBTQ+ children as young as five years old.
A blog post on VisitNH.gov, operated by the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA), lists Pride celebrations throughout the state and encourages residents and tourists to attend. Among the promoted events is Portsmouth Pride, organized by NH Outright.
According to NH Outright’s event page, Portsmouth Pride includes “a full day of entertainment, community resources, food trucks, a Youth Area, and family activities.” The organization also runs a monthly group called “Little OutRIGHTers,” which, as described on their youth programs page, is open to LGBTQ+ children in kindergarten through 5th grade—beginning at age five.
The BEA is currently led by Commissioner Taylor Caswell, who is up for reappointment this summer. According to a July 2025 report in the New Hampshire Union Leader, members of the Executive Council are signaling a more aggressive posture on state spending, and Caswell’s reappointment could face scrutiny related to his department’s recent decisions and direction.
While NH Outright is a private nonprofit, the inclusion of its events on an official state tourism platform has drawn attention due to the organization's direct engagement with young children. The VisitNH blog post does not provide any detail or disclaimers about the nature of the programming being promoted.
Caswell was first appointed in 2017 and has overseen the state’s economic development and tourism strategy through the BEA, including the public-facing VisitNH initiative.
As state agencies continue to highlight events involving advocacy organizations with youth-specific programming, questions remain about how public resources are used to support or promote such activities—particularly when children are involved.
Editor's Note: All images of children were taken directly from NH Outright's publicly availible media, the links of which have been provided below.
Chris, thanks for bringing that this to our attention and you’re fine reporting