Maura Healey, America's first lesbian governor, oversees raising of Pride flag at Statehouse

BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey joined lawmakers and members of the LGBTQ community Wednesday, June 5 to mark Pride Month.

Healey, America's first lesbian governor, oversaw the raising of the Pride flag on the Statehouse lawn. The ceremony also marked the 20th anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, the first state to allow the unions.

"No matter your age, your identity, your gender expression, here in Massachusetts you are welcome," Healey said as she raised the flag. "We see you, we hear you, we love you, we stand with you, we will always fight for you."

The ceremony comes ahead of the Boston Pride Parade on Saturday, the largest in New England.

Standing on the Statehouse steps, Healey said she was reminded of all who paved the way for the court decision in Massachusetts that legalized same-sex marriage. She also said that the right to marry and other victories for the LGBTQ community must be defended against ongoing threats.

"We are facing a situation where too many are looking to take away important, hard-won rights and freedoms," said Healey, the state's former attorney general. "These are freedoms. Equal treatment under the law is something that is in our United States Constitution."

Wednesday's flag raising and Saturday's parade comes amid growing hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community elsewhere in the country. Some states have sought to limit drag shows, restricted gender-affirming medical care and banned school library books for their LGBTQ+ content.