Overview
- Gov. Maura Healey appointed Byrd, a Black transgender woman and arts leader, to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women in August.
- Byrd reported receiving overt death threats on social media and by email to Boston police, according to officials.
- The commission and the governor issued statements backing Byrd, pointing to a 2016 appointment under Gov. Charlie Baker as precedent for LGBT representation.
- The backlash intensified after a Nov. 14 article in a right-leaning outlet spread through conservative media and social accounts, drawing national criticism.
- The commission condemned the attacks as transphobic and racist, a Republican state representative objected to the appointment, and Byrd said she will continue serving.