State tourism agency takes down Pride Month promo post following Republican pushback

The state agency in charge of promoting tourism in New Hampshire deleted a social media post celebrating Pride Month, after receiving pushback from some Republicans.

The move has angered LGBTQ activists, who accuse the state of wavering on its commitment to inclusion.

The post by the state Division of Travel and Tourism Development went up on social media site X on Friday, June 6. It included an image of two people of color sitting next to a Pride rainbow flag, along with a link to a state website listing local Pride events and festivals during June.

Chris Maidment, a Republican activist, noted on X shortly after the post went live that June 6 also marked another holiday: “The D-Day message from our tourism department....,” Maidment wrote. He also tagged New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell, whose agency oversees the state’s tourism efforts.

Other social media commenters also questioned why the state would promote Pride events at all.

Later Friday, the state’s post on X was deleted, prompting Maidment to thank Caswell for taking action. The webpage listing Pride events in the state was also briefly taken offline, but has since been restored.

“We routinely promote a variety of events across New Hampshire,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “This has been rectified, and the webpage has been restored.”

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The agency declined to say if it consulted with Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office before removing or republishing the post.

Some LGBTQ activists are expressing frustration with the government’s decision to delete the post.

“The removal of a Pride Month post, which simply encouraged people to celebrate love throughout June, is a step in the wrong direction,” Christopher Bellis, president of White Mountains Pride, said. He added that the removal of the post “conveys the message that New Hampshire isn't an accepting and inclusive place.”

Maidment, who had previously worked for the conservative activist group Americans for Prosperity, didn’t respond to an interview request.

The state’s official tourism website, VisitNH.gov, regularly highlights tourism offerings related to events including Black History Month, Maple Month, and other recreational seasons. Similar posts from VisitNH from June 2023 and 2024 noting Pride Month activities remain visible on X.

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