US: Maura Healey to make history as first openly gay state Attorney General

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Massachusetts Democrat Maura Healey is set to make history as the first openly gay Attorney General in the US.

Ms Healey – a former equality lawyer who fought against the Defence of Marriage Act – became the Democratic candidate in Massachusetts after a surprise victory in the September primaries.

In the November election, she trounced Republican John B Miller with 61.7% of the vote – well above his 38.2%.

Ms Healey’s term as Massachusetts Attorney General is set to begin officially on January 1, when she takes over from outgoing Democrat Martha Coakley.

The former equality lawyer told MassLive: “To the extent my run and my election can serve as a reminder that we should be judged on who we are and what we do and not on our race or sexual orientation or our gender, that’s a good thing. We shouldn’t let those things be barriers.”

“The fact that I’m gay didn’t become the story of my candidacy or this campaign, and I think that’s a sign of progress and where we are in the state.

“I didn’t see [DOMA] as a personal fight. I believe equality should be on everyone’s agenda. This was a civil rights case.”

Kara Coredin of MassEquality said: “I think any time a community is able to break a glass ceiling and send a message that increasingly the sky is the limit, that’s important.”

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