Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.) sent a shot across the bow Monday at her right-wing counterparts in Florida and Texas by posting billboards featuring same-sex couples in their states.
Healey, elected in 2022 as the nation’s first openly lesbian governor, tweeted photos of the billboards with the greeting, “Today, billboards just like these went up across Florida and Texas. Happy Pride everyone.”
The billboards advertise “Massachusetts: For us all.” One features two women embracing, the other two men. And the letters “us” are highlighted in color.
Neither is likely to delight Healey’s gubernatorial counterparts – Govs. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and Greg Abbott (R-Texas) – both of whom have tried to make names for themselves as culture warriors opposing LGBTQ rights and causes. But as Politico reported today, that’s nothing new for Healey.
“It’s a big national play from Healey,” Politico noted. “And it’s one that seems more in line with her days as a hard-charging state attorney general repeatedly suing the Trump administration than it does her actions as governor thus far."
According to the report:
“Healey is no stranger to taking her message straight to her ideological foes. Still, she’s now joining a long line of governors who’ve crossed state lines to drum up attention on the national political stage. And she’s been building up to it throughout the month. Notice how she's slipped 'welcome, Disney' messages into press conferences and interviews — a pointed dig at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing battle with the entertainment giant, which started over that state’s law limiting discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Healey’s tourism office is running a Pride-themed advertising campaign in Florida and Texas, with digital billboards and social media posts bearing the slogan “Massachusetts: For us all” and featuring LGBTQ couples photographed in locations throughout the Bay State. The ads will run for a month in the two southern states. The roughly $750,000 campaign also includes New England and New York."
Gov. Healey issued the following statement:
“At a time when other states are misguidedly restricting LGBTQIA+ rights, we are proud to send the message that Massachusetts is a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for all. To anyone considering where they want to live, raise a family, visit or build a business — we want you to join us here in Massachusetts.”