With strong Massachusetts and Maine roots in LGBT advocacy going back to the early ’80s, attorney Deborah Shields is the new executive director of MassEquality. The appointment came after an extensive search by the group’s boards of directors. MassEquality is the only LGBTQ-focused political organization in the Commonwealth that combines legislative lobbying with support for electoral candidates with a mission “to ensure that everyone across Massachusetts can thrive at all stages of life without discrimination and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.”
According to a recent MassEquality press release:
“We are thrilled to have Deborah on board to help guide us as move towards MassEquality 3.0,” says Stan Zanarotti, Chair of MassEquality’s 501c4 Board. “While we are working diligently on the Transgender Accommodations Bill, we look to the future on what will be next so that all LGBT people can thrive throughout the Commonwealth at all stages of life.”
With coalition partners, MassEquality is working to pass legislation for transgender non-discrimination protections, culturally competent care for LGBT elders, the end of the abusive practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth, insurance access for people with lipodystrophy, and supporting the teaching of comprehensive sex education in Massachusetts schools.
Deborah’s previous leadership positions were with the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, the Better Oral Health Massachusetts Coalition and in Maine with the AIDS Project and the AIDS Lodging House. She has also served as policy analyst, legislative campaign director, and legal advocate in various social justice and health organizations. In the 1980s, she was involved in the Massachusetts and Maine’s campaigns to pass LGB civil rights and protections for people with HIV/AIDS. She served as a founding board member of OutRight-Maine’s first organization for LGBT youth and as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England’s School of Public Health.
