Healey vows to "stand our ground" amid anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in Mass.
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Gov. Maura Healey speaks Wednesday at the State House's Pride flag-raising ceremony. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios
Gov. Maura Healey vowed Massachusetts would stand firm against attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and celebrate Pride Month, but some of that backlash hit closer to home this week.
The big picture: Massachusetts, the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, isn't immune to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
Catch up quick: Three days into Pride Month, Boston's LGBTQ+ community has faced backlash to the Boston Public Library's drag story hour series, threats to Trans Period Pride and other incidents.
- An AI-generated Facebook post by state Rep. John Gaskey, a Carver Republican, that says "Pride Month? How about American Pride Month?" made the rounds among queer lawmakers.
- State lawmakers walked into the House chamber Wednesday afternoon and saw small Pride flags stationed near Gaskey's seat.
State of play: Surrounded by LGBTQ+ state lawmakers, Healey declared the state's defense of freedom for various communities as a cornerstone of Massachusetts politics as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday.
What they're saying: "When it comes to life, liberty and freedom, we're going to stand our ground here in Massachusetts…," said Healey, the nation's first openly lesbian governor.
- "That's my message to everybody this morning with love, with affection, with solidarity and with real resoluteness about where we are in this moment."
The other side: "While every adult has the right to live as they choose and be treated with dignity under the law, I do not believe state government should devote public resources, official ceremonies, or legislative attention to advocacy events such as Pride Month," Gaskey wrote in an email to Axios.
- Gaskey also said his post was solely about patriotism and pride in America, not a criticism of any group or social movement.
Between the lines: Elected officials routinely promote Massachusetts as a beacon of LGBTQ+ rights as other states ban gender-affirming treatments for youth, drag story hours and gender-neutral bathrooms.
- Massachusetts ranked No. 1 on the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index recently, and Greater Boston is packed with Pride events year-round.
- But it's also had a front-row seat to strife and controversy over LGBTQ+ rights, from the 2019 Straight Pride Parade to the counterprotest to a 2025 incident where a lesbian was misgendered and kicked out of a bathroom at the Liberty Hotel.
Zoom in: Some Boston-area leaders have responded similarly to Healey.
- State Rep. John Moran, an openly gay Boston Democrat, posted a response video to Gaskey's post after it triggered comments referring to LGBTQ+ people as mentally ill.
- Moran didn't mention Gaskey by name, but he blasted the post as offensive, saying it incorrectly suggests American pride and LGBTQ+ pride are mutually exclusive. (Gaskey says Moran decided to "project his own assumptions" about his Facebook post.)
- Contrary to initial reports, the Trans Period Pride event is still on for June 17 at a different location, despite threats (the new address will be announced soon).
- MassNOW, the advocacy group behind the event, issued a statement Wednesday vowing to double down on its support of "all menstruators regardless of their gender identity."
The bottom line: Even in blue Massachusetts, Pride Month and the community it celebrates remain controversial.
- Boston-area residents and leaders are prioritizing joy, calling it a form of protest in its own right.