Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison released the following statement:

“Tonight, Maura Healey made history, becoming the first out lesbian governor this nation has ever elected. Massachusetts embraced a platform of equality and inclusion by electing a pro-equality champion. With her in the statehouse, LGBTQ+ youth across Massachusetts and the United States will get to see that they are represented at the highest levels of government, and that they can achieve anything they set their minds on. We celebrate Maura Healey’s historic win and look forward to working with her to continue to fight for a Massachusetts that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”

Before and during her time as Massachusetts’ Attorney General, Maura Healey has been a passionate advocate who advances equality. Prior to serving as the first openly LGBTQ+ state attorney general in the country, Healey was the Civil Rights Chief in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and brought the first successful challenge to the anti-LGBTQ+ Defense of Marriage Act. After becoming Massachusetts Attorney General, Healey led efforts to expand LGBTQ+ rights, fought anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and has worked diligently for the transgender community.

HRC’s Commitment to Massachusetts

HRC worked this year to engage our volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the 2.3 million Equality Voters in Massachusetts in support of Healey and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot. Equality Voters are a voting bloc of demographically and geographically diverse Americans who are united by the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality. Equality Voters are younger, more racially diverse, and more female than the general electorate, they recognize and trust the HRC brand, and they are more likely to identify with issue-specific organizations than candidates or political parties.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.