Maura Healy — LGBTQ+ Representation Increases With The Country’s First Openly Lesbian Governor
Massachusetts residents elected Democratic Attorney General Maura Healy on Nov. 8 to lead the Commonwealth as its 73rd governor.
Healy shattered glass ceilings as the state’s first woman and the country’s first openly lesbian attorney general and now its first openly lesbian governor.
A record number of 678 queer candidates appeared on the ballot, and 340 of those candidates won their races — a number that has never been seen before. This is the most LGBTQ+ representation the government has ever had.
“I think about what my election as Governor means for young girls and young LGBTQ+ people across the country who are finally seeing themselves reflected in leadership,” Healy said in a written statement. “I'm proud to be the first, and I know I won't be the last.”
Healy emphasized that “representation matters” and that “seeing is believing.”
Boston University student Camille Zapata , an aspiring law student who plans to build a career working with and defending the rights of marginalized people, discussed the importance of representation with Healy’s election.
“Increased representation in government will help to end the lasting stigma that surrounds being gay in official positions,” Zapata said. “While Massachussetts is one of the most progressive states, it can serve as an example for other states to follow in the future.”
Zapata further said she would like to see Healy incorporate intersectionality into her defense of LGBTQ+ rights.
“I’d like to see Healy work at the intersection of racial and LGBTQ+ discrimination. So often these issues are seen as separate, when in reality they are interconnected, with POC LGBTQ+ people suffering the worst of this discrimination,” said Zapata.
Recently, there has been increased questioning of LGBTQ+ rights and hate crimes, causing a need for leaders to fight for LGBTQ+ rights and legislation. Queer leaders, therefore queer representation, help the voices and opinions of the community be heard during these incidents.
Following the overturn of the historic Roe v. Wade in June, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said that landmark high court rulings, such as Obergefell v. Hodges which established gay marriage rights, should now be reconsidered.
The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act 62-37 on Nov. 16, and three days later on Nov. 19 a mass shooting occurred at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five and injuring 17.
The rights of queer people are being challenged, but leaders throughout the country are working to keep individuals that are impacted protected.
“Having an openly lesbian governor will serve as protection for the community during a time when LGBTQ+ rights are up against opposition with the GOP’s mission to roll back the progress that has been made in recent years,” Zapata said. “Healy’s past success in challenging the Defense of Marriage Act and having it struck down gives me hope that she will not only protect the existing rights the community has but work to further those rights.”
Healy’s team mentioned on her official campaign website, that she “is running to be the first lesbian Governor in the country at a time when politicians across the country are launching heartless attacks on LGBTQ+ youth.”
Healy’s mission is to stand up to the attempts to encroach upon LGBTQ+ rights and ensure that the lives of queer people in Massachusetts are supported and healthy. Some of the efforts that Healy plans on making are banning the LGBTQ+ panic defense, supporting both comprehensive and LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education, simplifying co-parent adoption in the state, and on a federal level, advocating for the Equality Act to be passed.