Photo courtesy of Zgreenblatt via Wikimedia Commons. Maura Healey, pictured above for her A.G. campaign, is the first out lesbian governor in the U.S.
By Bryn Healy ’24
Staff Writer
Maura Healey made history with her win in the Massachusetts gubernatorial election on Nov. 8., making her Massachusetts’ first woman elected to the position, Associated Press News reported. Along with Governor-elect Tina Kotek of Oregon, Healey will be one of the two first openly lesbian governors in the U.S., according to ABC. AP News announced that Healey beat Trump-endorsed candidate Geoff Diehl to fill the vacancy left by current Governor Charlie Baker, who did not run for re-election. After her win, Healey turned to Twitter to send out an encouraging message to Massachusetts youth, which stated, “We might be the first, but we won’t be the last. To every little girl out there, we want you to know — there’s no ceiling you can't break.” Mount Holyoke College Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum also took to Twitter, where she stated, “Congratulations to Governor-elect Maura Healey!”
Healey ran her campaign following her successful tenure as Massachusetts attorney general and as a civil rights attorney, CBS reported. Healey was the first openly LGBTQ+ state attorney general when appointed to the post in 2014, according to CBS. Healey led the fight for gay marriage in the courtroom, bringing the first state challenge against the Defense of Marriage Act, which banned same-sex marriage. Healey also fought for greater non-discrimination protections for transgender people in the state of Massachussetts. Furthermore, according to LGBTQ Nation, Healy has also been a key voice in the push for gender-neutral markers at both the federal and state level. In her time as attorney general, her office sued Purdue Pharma, aiming to hold it responsible for its inarguable role in encouraging the opioid epidemic, according to CBS. Her office also sued Exxon Mobil for “misleading Massachusetts investors about the risks to Exxon’s business posed by fossil fuel-driven climate change,” according to the Massachusetts government website.
Healey’s win received a lot of attention and praise from LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations. The Human Rights Campaign congratulated Healey on Twitter, where they wrote, “As one of our nation’s first lesbian governors, she will not only be a champion of pro-equality policies, but also a role model for the entire LGBTQ+ community.” CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, told LGBTQ Nation, “In the face of so much hate and intolerance sweeping our nation, [Healey’s] win is a sign — especially to LGBTQ[+] kids in desperate need of hope — that LGBTQ[+] people have a place in American society and can become respected public leaders.”
Emma Cranage ’25 believes that “at such a politically fraught time, [Healey’s] election brings hope to our community in a way that any other more typical governor might not be able to deliver.” Cranage went on to explain that Healey’s win in the primary was more important than her win in the general election on Nov. 8 as “her [primary election] victory shows the huge potential influence that solid blue states have in creating a more diverse political profile, both at the state level and nationally.” Ida Grace Fendell ’24 “loved her as attorney general” and is “really excited to see what she’ll do as governor.”
Healey ran alongside the lieutenant governor candidate, Kim Driscoll, according to CBS. As a part of their joint platform, Healey and Driscoll are proposing a program titled MassReconnect that would help non-traditional students get education and jobs. According to Healey’s website, Mass ReConnect will fund “free community college certificates and degrees to the Commonwealth’s residents who are 25 years old and up who have not yet earned a college credential, or students that have earned a certificate but are interested in earning a degree.“ On the surface, this program seems similar to the College’s Frances Perkins program. Monica Lamberti FP ’23 said, “It’s fantastic that [Governor-elect] Healey wants to support non-traditional students.” She explained, “Students who are like me, without financial parental support, and many of us with kids, think, … ‘How am I going to pay for college?’ And at the same time, ‘What about my kids, who I still need to support?’ Financial assistance is imperative for someone who wants to put in the effort [to go] back to school later in life. A person who is trying their hardest to succeed despite the adversities should be supported.”
Nicolette McGrath FP ’23 had a more complicated view of the program. “After I reached 25, I believed that college was out of the question for me because I had to work to pay my bills and I couldn’t even afford community college. So, I am very excited to see a program that specifically targets this demographic. Making sure that classes and all other expenses are covered is most important because a lot of these individuals are struggling to keep their heads above water and many of them can't spare even $100 for registration fees, … let alone textbooks and other fees involved.” However, McGrath also points out some potential flaws in the program based on their own experience as a nontraditional student. “Now, it is absolutely critical that the academic advising that these people receive is not from academic advisors with little to no experience advising non-traditional age students. … Another issue I see is that they seem to be falling short in the idea that this program will be a jumping off point for so many of these [non-traditional] students to go on to getting their bachelor’s degree. … I had no plans [for] getting my [bachelor’s] when I started community college and definitely no plans on heading to a [doctorate] program, but once I started at Greenfield Community College, I realized I didn’t want to stop there.” Only time will tell as to how much Healey and Driscoll stay in line with their initial campaign promises and address the concerns brought up by non-traditional students like McGrath.