Jessica Rinaldi-The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Groundbreakers
Maura Healey
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
For Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, the biggest obstacle of 2023 was herself — the worry that she’s falling short in tackling the myriad problems her state faces.
“Am I doing enough?” she says after briefly halting the conversation to help her partner Joanna Lydgate’s 10-year-old get to soccer practice. “There’s such an urgency and intensity on what needs to be done, whether it’s about protecting access to abortion, protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community, going after climate [change]. What more can we do today to make a difference?”
Healey has already done so much for the people of Massachusetts and the nation as a whole. During the aughts, she brought the first successful legal challenge to the anti-LGBTQ+ Defense of Marriage Act as chief of the Civil Rights Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. After she was elected attorney general of Massachusetts, she never shied away from fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, especially for the state’s trans community.
Healey’s devotion to queer causes, gun control, reproductive freedom, and criminal justice reform were rewarded last year when she won the Bay State’s gubernatorial election in a landslide. She made history with her victory, becoming the state’s first female governor and one of the nation’s first two out lesbian governors, the other being Oregon’s Tina Kotek, who also won office in November 2022.
“In the face of intolerance, injustice, and bigotry, it’s all the more important that people know there are people like me and others in government to make sure rights and freedoms are protected,” Healey says. “If my election and me being in this role can provide a measure of comfort to someone and lets them know it’s going to be OK, I really want them to believe that. I take that responsibility [as a role model] very seriously because I know people are scared, are nervous. I know the mental health, particularly that of young people in the LGBTQ community, has suffered the last few years. It just makes someone like me even more committed to not only having good policies but making sure [my office is] representative and inclusive.”
Healey expressed anger at politicians who exploit fear and ignorance concerning vulnerable groups to further political gain. But she thinks younger generations will face even more pressing challenges.
“Democracy and climate” demand the most attention, the governor warns. “We need to do everything we can to protect democracy and make sure we have a future. And we have not done enough for climate change.” @maura_healey
Groundbreakers
Janelle Rodriguez
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Photo by Patrick Randak
Janelle Rodriguez is the executive vice president of programming at NBC News, in which capacity she manages NBC Nightly News, NBC News NOW, as well as breaking news specials. It’s a notable year for the country’s longest-running evening newscast, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
In addition to upholding the gold standard of this time-honored brand, the out Puerto Rican executive is breaking new ground by building NBC News NOW, the fasting-growing U.S. streaming news network. Under her oversight last year, NBC News NOW had an impressive 50 percent year-over-year growth and broadened into national and international linear distribution.
As the world gears up for an action-packed 2024 that includes the Paris Olympics and a U.S. presidential election, Rodriguez is more than prepared to lead her teams in their coverage. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.
“I get a front row seat to history every day and have the honor of working with the best journalists in the world to bring the news to our audiences everywhere,” Rodriguez says.
Previously, Rodriguez served as CNN’s vice president of programming. During her career, she’s won several Peabody Awards and five Emmy Awards for election night coverage and beyond. Her CNN team took home the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont Award for its reporting on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. And she’s routinely honored for her work by media outlets, being recognized by Variety’s Women’s Impact Report, Fast Company’s Queer 50, and CableFax’s Pride List.
Despite all her professional accomplishments, Rodriguez takes her greatest pride in her family. “Being a mom to my 10-year-old daughter is the greatest gift and hardest work of my life. I’m truly blessed,” she says.