Politics
Maura Healey and Tina Kotek are racing toward a Nov. 8 finish line.
Healey, also a Democrat, has been theMassachusetts attorney generalsince 2014.
(When elected with63% of the vote, she became the nations first gay attorney general.)
Though their current goals and campaign platforms are similar, their entries into politics couldnt have been more different.
After five years in the role, she ran for AG.
I was not expecting to be in politics, Healey tells Bustle.
I came to really understand what it means to work in an office as the peoples lawyer.
Thats what inspired me to run back in 2014, even though Id never run for office.
We were trying to double-check students and faculty had access to domestic-partnership benefits, Kotek says.
I was in a long-term relationship at the time, so I applied for married student housing on campus.
I was denied, I filed a discrimination complaint, and was denied again.
That got me started in saying, I need to stand up for myself and others.
Theyve made environmental protections key parts of their platforms, and see young voters motivated by climate change.
And that resonates with young people who are demanding action from their leaders.
They have been phenomenal.
Recent events have demonstrated the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in state government with extreme clarity.
Consider FloridasDont Say Gay or Trans bill, or Texas Gov.
Greg Abbotts decision to viewgender-affirming carefor trans youth as child abuse.
The state is where your basic protections come from, says Kotek.
That matters when youre making public policy.
Youre going to have the best laws and policies if everybody’s around the table.
source: www.bustle.com
