Hours after Hillary Clinton delivered her speech conceding the White House to the GOP nominee, Deborah Shields executive director of MassEquality, offered the following words to our LGBTQ community and allies:
Today, we are all dealing with the results of yesterday’s national elections and what they will mean for us and for our country, our communities, and our loved ones. If we have learned anything over the years of hard work to win rights, respect and equality for LGBTQ people, it is that we are a strong, brave, and dedicated community. And we are all stronger when we stand together and support each other.
In spite of the devastating presidential election that poses a major threat to women, people of color, and LGBTQ communities throughout the country, we can find reasons for hope in our statewide election results.
Yesterday, Massachusetts voted for candidates who support equal rights for all. Fifteen of MassEquality’s endorsed incumbent candidates will be returning to Beacon Hill despite the smear campaigns and hate mailings that were seen in several districts. In fact, all of the candidates who were targeted by those mailings won their seats. And four pro-LGBTQ challengers who we endorsed also won their races, including openly gay candidates Julian Cyr and Jack Lewis.
These victories send a clear message that Massachusetts voters won’t fall for negative campaigns based on lies and fear-mongering. And with this election, the number of pro-LGBTQ legislators in the State House has increased, giving us more strong allies in the fight for full LGBTQ equality. These election results prove that Massachusetts believes in fairness and equality for all, and that LGBTQ rights are valued by voters in the Commonwealth.
We congratulate our winning candidates, and we look forward to working with them in the State House. We also thank you for your hard work over the past year to elect pro-LGBTQ candidates in Massachusetts. These electoral victories would not have happened without your help. But we know the fight doesn’t end on Beacon Hill.
Regardless of the outcome of yesterday’s elections, our work continues. We’ll keep fighting to pass laws, educate the public, advocate for our rights, and elect more LGBTQ champions to statewide office. We stand with you, our community, and we won’t back down.
