Senator Ed Markey seeks interns from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working-class and veteran backgrounds

Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts advertised a spring 2027 internship in his Boston office, specifying that candidates who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working-class or veterans and have Massachusetts connections are encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications is set for November 9. The targeted language has sparked backlash, with some accusing the senator of violating federal hiring discrimination statutes.

Requests for comment were ignored by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Markey’s own staff, while the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon’s office also declined to speak. Republican Representative Brandon Gill and right-wing commentators such as Christopher Rufo and Alex Marlow have publicly denounced the posting as discriminatory toward white applicants. The controversy occurs amid broader national debates over DEI policies, which were rolled back by the Trump administration in 2025.