This rally took place just before a public hearing I sponsored with Councilor Murphy on a proposed ordinance to ensure the safety & efficacy of commercial autonomous vehicles.

Visibility fights stigma. It saves lives. To the Intersex community, I see you.

I'm proud that we've been able to pass resolutions in 2024 & 2025 to make Intersex Awareness day official in Boston.

This is exactly why being visible is so critical. It’s why we must say the word "intersex" out loud and why the "I" in LGBTQIA+ is so vital.

Intersex traits are more common than many people realize, and studies find that anywhere from 1.7 to 5% of people have these traits.

Due to a lack of awareness and education, the intersex community is subject to countless challenges, including medical discrimination, low public awareness, stigmatization, physical and mental health disparities, nonconsensual irreversible surgeries, and insufficient research.

To mark the occasion, we hosted a screening of the documentary Every Body yesterday. Afterwards, we had a powerful discussion led by Esther Leidolf of the MRKH Intersex Organization. I’m so grateful to everyone who came, shared their own stories, and brought so much passion for the work still ahead.

Appreciated our local city councilors @ben4district6.bsky.social and @enriquepepen.bsky.social being there, and @clrhenrysantana.bsky.social too.

#DigitalEquity ensures that every Bostonian can access what they need to succeed: work opportunities, healthcare, education, and more.

Thank you to @clrhenrysantana.bsky.social and @enriquepepen.bsky.social for joining us. A huge thank you and congratulations to all of our honorees!

Anyone in need of assistance should call my office at (617) 635-4205 or email Henry.Santana@boston.gov.

And I will continue to recognize that efforts to stir hate and discrimination are only meant to divide and weaken us. All of us in Boston must stand strong, and stand together.

I will continue to uplift our LGBTQIA+ communities and be a steadfast and outspoken advocate for the protection, empowerment, and liberation of all members of our LGBTQIA+ communities.

My office will continue to be a safe haven for our LGBTQIA+ communities.

We need to stand up every day and continue to take action to protect and serve our communities.

We value, cherish, and love our LGBTQIA+ community members as an integral part of the fabric of Boston.

We’re not exempt from this violence in Boston. Those outside our LGBTQIA+ communities may believe that Boston is an intrinsically safe place.

Those within our LGBTQIA+ communities recognize that safety is a spectrum, and that comparative safety is not true safety.

And our LGBTQIA+ communities are being used as political pawns & scapegoats. They may not be physical, but these are acts of violence as well.

We have been told to accept these everyday acts of violence against our LGBTQIA+ communities as the norm. Here in Boston, we know this is unacceptable.