Sarah McBride is the first transgender senator of the USA
The gay and queer population in the US are represented in a few key positions across the United States government. It took a long time for those men and women to get into their government position, but they are there now, and that's what matters. The first gay person who was out of the closet when they were elected to Congress was Elaine Noble. She was a lesbian who was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives all the way back in 1974. There were many obstacles stacked again her, but her inauguration was a massive victory for gay people. However, not all people in the LGBTQ community have seen such success until this election. Transgender people do have a long way to go before they are completely accepted by American society. But in 2020, a breakthrough occurred for the Transgender community. The very first transgender woman was elected to the Delaware State Senate.
Who is Sarah Mcbride?
The very first transgender person to sit in a state senate seat in the United States is Sarah McBride. She is a transgender woman who was originally born a man and underwent hormonal therapy to become a woman. With her Democratic victory in the 2020 election, she is now the highest-ranking office achieved by a transgender person. The person that was previously elected to the seat she has now was Harris McDowell. He had a seat in the state senate for over 44 years but decided not to run for re-election in the 2020 campaign. McBride has a republican opponent named Steve Washington, and they were competing for Delaware's 1st District Seat.
Before her win, she has worked in several different offices in government bodies since 2010. Not only did she intern as a White House staff member, but she also worked on different campaigns and had the respect of her peers. In 2013, she was on the board of directors For equality in Delaware, and she ran a successful campaign that led to the creation of laws in Delaware's state congress that focused on non-discrimination.
Sarah McBride worked for Beau Biden, President-elect Joe Biden's son, when he was the Delaware attorney General.
Between the years of 2013 and 2017, McBride also championed the expansion of Medicaid for all eligible Delawareans and was able to push an expansive law into legislation. In 2016, she was the first openly transgender person to give a speech at the Democratic National Convention. In 2017, she wrote a law that protected homeless young people and those under 18 who were victims of child abuse. She is also a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign.
While she was going to school and working in government offices, Sarah married Andrew Cray, a man she dated for a long time. Unfortunately, both Sarah and Andrew knew that he was terminally ill. Andrew was dying from stage 4 cancer, and four days after they married, he died.
When did she come out?
Coming out as a transgender person is never easy, and the best thing the person can hope for is that they are surrounded by people who love them no matter what. Sarah McBride took the ultimate step and revealed that she was transgender by writing a piece for her University's newspaper. McBride was the Student Body President at American University. Her piece received a lot of media attention, and she was interviewed by several national news institutions, including NPR.
The campaign that got Sarah McBride elected
Senator Sarah McBride ran a campaign centered on dignity and equality for Delawareans, who not only live in her district but the entire state. She has lived her entire life in Delaware's 1st district, so she knows the area well and understands the problems affecting the people in that area. She believes that by fighting the criminal justice system and bringing in sweeping reforms, and helping impoverished Americans, life will be easier for the people who society has forgotten. She believes that lowering the cost of living for the bottom 20% of Delawareans can help them stay in school, avoid homelessness, and help them achieve a better life.
New York Times: Sarah McBride Is Set to Be the Nation’s Highest-Ranking Transgender Official
Reception
Many members of the LGBT community and straight, cisgender allies are excited for Sarah McBride and the amazing accomplishment she achieved. Sarah McBride is also a family friend of Bidens. When she was elected to the Delaware state senate, she received a congratulatory phone call from Beau Biden.
Bigotry against McBride
Unfortunately, not all people are so happy about Sarah McBride's achievement. While some people don't like her policies, that is not the main argument against Sarah McBride's government position. Much of her negative opposition comes from the fact that she is a transgender woman. If you are an American, it should not surprise you to learn that many right-wing websites do not believe that a transgender person should be in a position of government power. On these websites' comment sections, many people are openly against Sarah McBride and spout transphobic slurs. These people believe that transgender people have a mental illness and should be locked up in mental hospitals and not walk around among the "normal" public. But there is good news. Since she is now an elected official, any vitriol or bigoted remarks directed at her by her peers will become public record. She is protected from discrimination if she is treated unfairly by a peer or higher officials.
Conclusion
Sarah McBride is now the highest-ranking transgender person in an office. She is part of the Delaware State Senate, and she represents Delaware's 1st district. Her new rank in a state senate is an unbelievable the three for transgender people all over the United States. She now has the power to help many people in Delaware's first district. Because she is now known across the US, she can use her platform to help other transgender people in her state and across the country.
There is a lot of bigotry aimed at her, but she's well protected by her staff and those who work with her on her campaign. Here you have Sarah McBride official website.
