The old saying, coined by historical Boston politician Martin Lomasney, goes: “Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink.”
Two state lawmakers may be well-advised to add on the phrase “never speak into a live microphone when you can whisper into an ear.”
State Reps. John Moran (D-9th Suffolk) and Jack Lewis (D-7th Middlesex) were caught making off-color and disparaging remarks during a Pride Month celebration at the State House steps on June 3.
In a video posted on Gov. Maura Healey’s official YouTube channel, the two lawmakers, among a handful of others, are seen talking amongst themselves behind the podium and before the event began. Moran and Lewis did not realize that their conversation, just minutes after the audio technician turned on the podium microphone, was being recorded.
Lewis was seen talking with an unidentified man, also unaware they were live, discussing the number of staffers and former staffers of various lawmakers’ offices they have in their cell phone contact lists.
“I don’t even ever program their real names,” Lewis explained to the man just steps away from the podium. “So, look how many times the word ‘guy’ is saved in my phone. ‘Dog guy,’ ‘lady-guy,’ but this is where it gets worse: Gay guy, you know, it’s clear who they are.”
“Denominators, exactly,” the unidentified man said back to Lewis in laughter.
Just a moment later, Rep. Moran, who had been standing next to Lewis, called over to state Rep. Thomas Moakley (D – Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket) to come stand next to him during the event.
“Thomas, you’ve got to stand next to me, we need pretty boys,” said Moran.
“No, no, I always like when I’m with the ugly people, because it makes the rest of us look good,” Lewis chimed in.
Lewis, in response to a Herald request for comment, defended his remarks about the characterizations of people in his phone book.
“Prior to the Pride Flag raising at the State House, I commented in a conversation that I need to stop saving new representatives in my phone as ‘New Rep.’ I then shared that I frequently save people in my phone with descriptive nicknames. I only use positive descriptors, and I have discussed this practice publicly and with my contacts for years,” Lewis explained. “The only mention of staff came when someone else shared that many of their contacts are identified as ‘former staffer to _____.’ This conversation was benign and any other characterization of it is inaccurate.”
He continued.
“I have spent much of my career supporting LGBTQ+ young people. I have experienced homophobia personally, both as a parent and as someone who has lost people I know to suicide. I have seen firsthand the impact that hateful rhetoric can have on the people I love and the communities I serve,” Lewis told the Herald. “While I regret the tone of my comments, I do not regret standing up against language and actions that stigmatize LGBTQ+ people.”
The conversation then shifted towards state Rep. John Gaskey (R-2nd Plymouth) as Lewis and Moran began speaking with Senate President Karen Spilka, who had just arrived.
While Moran could be heard mentioning Gaskey’s name to Spilka and Lewis, a portion of the conversation was inaudible until Lewis could be heard saying, “the real good thing about Rep. Gaskey is that he’s just not the smartest person in the world.”
“My comments about Rep. Gaskey were not my kindest. However, I will also be candid. Rep. Gaskey’s floor speeches and social media posts attacking the LGBTQ+ community and equating our community with Satanism are harmful,” Lewis told the Herald.
The two lawmakers were discussing a June 1 social media post by Gaskey on his official Facebook page questioning why Pride Month exists, while encouraging his followers to call it “American Pride Month.”
Moran, the next day, posted a reel to his official Facebook page calling out a “Massachusetts MAGA Republican.”
“I posted a video on Instagram and Facebook in response to a Facebook post by Rep. John Gaskey depicting Pride Month as evil and declaring it “American Pride Month.” As a patriotic American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I found his post offensive. I love my country and I am grateful to live in freedom to be who I am,” Moran told the Herald.
“Some of the comments to Rep Gaskey’s post from across the country were very troubling and had me very worried. While I do not recall what I may have said as we waited for the Pride flag raising, given the timing of the comment it could have been an expression of sorrow and fear about Rep Gaskey’s homophobic post,” he said.
While the video of the event and the hot mic conversation is posted on Gov. Healey’s YouTube channel and correctly dated June 3, it is unclear why a thumbnail for the video reads “Governor Baker Updates FY 2021 Budget Proposal.”
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