Massachusetts’ First Lesbian Governor Maura Healey Signs Shield Act 2.0 Protecting Gender-Affirming Care and Abortion Rights

Last week, Governor Maura Healey signed the Shield Act 2.0, "the strongest law in America", which strengthens protections for both the providers and the patients of reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare in the state of Massachusetts.

Governor Healey is the 73^rd and current Governor of Massachusetts, who assumed office on January 5, 2023. More notably, Healey broke new ground as the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the position of Governor in the state’s history.

The Shield Act, “An Act Expanding Productions and Gender-Affirming Care,” was initially passed in 2022. The legislation followed decades of legal efforts within the state of Massachusetts that aimed to protect the ability to receive abortion care and to provide it.

While signing the legislation, Governor Healey stated that the law is “the strongest law in America and it will protect reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, and those who provide it.”

In a press conference following the signing, she continued by saying, “In Massachusetts, you have freedom, you have a choice, you have the free will to make health care decisions for yourself and your family. I think that’s so fundamental.”

House Chair, Joint Committee on Public Health, Representative Marjorie Decker also included her support for the legislation stating that it is “a critical defense against the attacks that the federal government continues to make against women and the LGBTQ+ community.”