NEWMARKET – Taking a cue from Durham’s February passage of an anti-discrimination resolution protecting transgender individuals from discrimination, the Newmarket Town Council will vote on a similar measure next week.

Councilor Toni Weinstein said Thursday the measure, called “Supporting the Equality of all Individuals without Regard to Actual or Perceived Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Gender Expression,” came about after the measure spearheaded by UNH LGBTQ activists was passed by the Durham Town Council.

“I worked with (Town Administrator Steve Fournier) to develop the resolution after reading about a similar resolution that was passed in Durham and it had the first reading at our last meeting,” she said.

If passed, Newmarket would be the third Seacoast city or municipality in the state to pass such a resolution. New Hampshire currently has no state statute forbidding discrimination against a person for their gender identity.

Durham's resolution was strictly aimed at the council urging the state to amend its current anti-discrimination statutes to include protections for all gender expressions and identities. Durham had, according to the Feb. 1 minutes, already adopted a transgender-inclusive non-discrimination policy for town employees in 2013.

Newmarket Town Council Chairman Gary Levy said in a meeting last week he would want more information and possibly the input of legal counsel before voting on the measure because of how it might affect the usage of town facilities – namely, bathrooms. On Friday, Levy declined to comment further on his concerns, other than to say he “wanted to get some more information (from counsel) so (he) could make an informed decision.”

The resolution, introduced by councilors Phil Nazzarro, Amy Burns and Weinstein, reads in part: “the Town Council adopts a formal policy of non-discrimination regarding transgendered (sic) municipal employees by forbidding discrimination based upon a person's gender identity and/or expression.”

The resolution further states the council will urge the state Legislature to adopt similar language in its statutes.

The Town Council will vote on the resolution Wednesday, May 4.