Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) made history in 2018 as the first out gay person to represent New Hampshire in Congress. Now, he’s trying to make history again with his campaign to become the first out gay man to serve in the Senate. So naturally, Chris Pappas’ LGBTQ+ record is receiving renewed interest from state voters and political observers nationwide.
Thankfully, Pappas has been a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, supporting pro-LGBTQ+ federal and state legislation, opposing any attempts to roll back queer civil rights, and loudly speaking out against the president and U.S. Supreme Court’s attempts to undo LGBTQ+ progress.
Chris Pappas at a glance
- Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
- Position sought: New Hampshire’s U.S. Senate seat
- Current position: Representative in the U.S. House
- Party affiliation: Democratic
- Race/ethnicity: White Greek-American
- Gender identity: Cisgender male
- Sexual orientation: Gay
- LGBTQ+ ally: Yes
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Biography
Born June 4, 1980, in Manchester, New Hampshire, Pappas earned his Bachelor of Arts in government in 2002 from Harvard College and was elected to the state’s House of Representatives that same year, serving until 2006. He then served as the treasurer of Hillsborough County from 2007 to 2011 — he lost his race for a third term in 2010. He appeared on the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in October 2011 and won $17,500.
In 2012, he was elected to the New Hampshire Executive Council and won re-election to the council in 2014 and 2016. In 2018, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and won re-election in 2020, 2022, and 2024. He has served as co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus while there. He married his husband Vann Bentley in February 2023.
On April 3, 2025, Pappas announced his candidacy for Senate. He co-owns his birth family’s restaurant, The Puritan Backroom.
Chris Pappas’s stances on LGBTQ+ rights
Same-sex marriage
While serving in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives during his early 20s, Pappas spoke against a bill that would have prevented the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in neighboring Massachusetts.
In October 2020, after conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito questioned the validity of marriage equality precedents, Pappas called their comments “an insult to the more than 500,000 loving same-sex couples that have finally been able to have their unions recognized under the law,” and introduced a House resolution condemning their statement.
He said, “As the balance of the court shifts, we must fight to ensure that our country does not go backward on fundamental equality. It is essential we affirm our commitment to the rights of all our citizens, regardless of who they love.”
Pappas was one of the lead co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act, a 2022 law that requires the federal and state governments to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed by other states. Pappas married his same-sex spouse Vann Bentley in February 2023, after the law’s signing the previous December.
“Don’t Say Gay” laws/LGBTQ+ discussions in schools
In March 2023, Pappas voted against the so-called Parents Bill of Rights Act, a Republican bill that opponents say would allow anti-LGBTQ+ activists to target and eliminate queer-inclusive content in public schools by making curriculum and library book lists available to parents.
He also praised the defeat of a similar bill in New Hampshire, 2023’s S.B. 272, praising Democratic state legislators who helped kill the bill. Pappas said, “Granite Staters believe in local control of education and understand that the education and support for our children must remain free from politics.”
Trans children in sports
Pappas has consistently voted against legislation that would restrict transgender students’ participation in school activities, including sports. He voted against H.R. 28 (2025) and H.R. 734 (2023) — both known as the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would have amended Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in government-funded schools and education programs, to prohibit schools from allowing trans female athletes to participate in athletic programs or activities “designated for women or girls.”
Pappas said, “Banning trans women and girls from participating in sports and allowing schools to directly discriminate against students on the basis of their gender identity would do lasting harm not just to them, but our communities as a whole. I strongly oppose this legislation, which is the latest in a series of bigoted, harmful attacks on the transgender community. All students deserve the opportunity to participate fully at school, including in school sports, and I remain committed to ensuring every student has a safe, inclusive school environment.”
Gender-affirming care for minors
When asked in June 2025 by LGBTQ Nation about the Supreme Court’s ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, Pappas replied, “I’ve always said that I believe that healthcare should be between people and their doctors, and I believe that families should be able to access the care that they need. We need to continue to take steps to make sure that everyone is free to be themselves and to get the support that they deserve.”
In a related note, in May 2025, Pappas joined more than 100 House Democrats in urging the Trump administration to reverse its plan to cut LGBTQ+-specific services from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Pappas and colleagues wrote, “Ending this mental health support for youth in distress would devastate a vital resource for some of our nation’s most vulnerable young people.”
Conversion therapy
In August 2025, Pappas joined 187 colleagues in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors in the case of Chiles v. Salazar.
The brief stated, “The unethical practice of ‘conversion therapy,’ which is proven to harm the well-being of our kids and has been condemned by all our major medical and mental health care organizations, has been restricted or banned by a majority of states. These bans are legal, and the Court must uphold them.”
Discrimination protections
Pappas’ current campaign website states, “No one should be discriminated against for who they love or choose to marry.”
In April 2025, Pappas advocated for the Equality Act, federal legislation that would explicitly list sexual orientation and gender identity among the list of personal characteristics protected from discrimination in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
“Passing the Equality Act is consistent with the basic promise of America, and it has never been more urgent that we confront the politically toxic attacks on our community and that we move forward,” Pappas said. “I think of the LGBTQ+ community members that we all talk to — these people who are beyond afraid about the direction of our nation.”
In September 2021, Pappas introduced legislation to support LGBTQ+ veterans, including the SERVE Act, which would guarantee and protect military benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans discharged from the Armed Forces due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In March 2021, Pappas led the Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act, which would ban the use of “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses in federal court. He has also called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reassess outdated and discriminatory policies blocking LGBTQ+ community members from donating blood.
He praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled that LGBTQ+ workers are protected under the 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964, saying, “Millions of LGBTQ Americans still live in fear of losing their job because of who they are or who they love, so this decision is welcome news. The Supreme Court confirmed that there must be equal justice under the law for LGBTQ Americans in the workplace. This decision gives our community dignity and legal recourse should our civil rights be violated.”
In November 2019, he opposed the Trump Administration’s attempt to allow anti-LGBTQ+ health care providers to refuse lifesaving care on a religious or “conscience” basis, saying, “The care patients receive should be predicated on their medical needs and not the personally-held beliefs of providers or administrators.”
In a June 2019 interview, he said, “The pace of change for LGBTQ Americans makes me hopeful that we can apply those successes to our work to end discrimination against individuals and communities in this country.”
Chris Pappas’s career
- Born June 4, 1980, in Manchester, New Hampshire
- Got Bachelor of Arts in government from Harvard College in 2002
- Served in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006
- Served as the treasurer of Hillsborough County from 2007 to 2011, losing re-election in 2010.
- Served in New Hampshire Executive Council from 2012 to 2017.
- Serving in U.S. House from 2018 until present
Chris Pappas’ LGBTQ+ record should reassure LGBTQ+ supporters
Rep. Chris Pappas’ LGBTQ+ record suggests that he’ll continue fighting for the queer community’s civil rights at the federal level. He has not only joined coalitions to push back against LGBTQ+ attacks, but has also introduced pro-LGBTQ+ legislation to address discrimination in healthcare, the military, workplaces, schools, and elsewhere.
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