Delaware sends first trans rep to Congress with election of Sarah McBride

Sarah McBride will be the first transgender representative to head to Congress, representing Delaware with the only House seat allotted to that tiny state. McBride defeated John Whalen III, costing the Republicans a seat in the House. McBride has been credited with changing fellow Delaware resident Joe Biden's views on trans and LGBGQ issues. When McBride came out, Biden told her "Beau is so proud of you," referencing his late son.

McBride, a man who believes his wish to be a woman makes him one, spoke at a Democrat election night party in Wilmington on Tuesday and intoned late husband Andy Cray, saying "My time with Andy reinforced for me a simple truth, that hope as an emotion, hope as a phenomenon, only makes sense in the face of hardship. While at this moment in America’s history, hope sometimes feels hard to come by, we must never forget that we are the beneficiaries of seemingly impossible change."

McBride's Democrats would go on to lose the presidential election as Kamala Harris failed to deliver any of the swing states. McBride's priorities for her constituents are in the areas of health care, abortion, and increasing the federal minimum wage. Delaware's minimum wage is $13.25 while the federal figure is $7.25.

McBride's trans identity has been something that trans constituents have related to. One campaigner for McBride told NBC that after meeting McBride and hearing of the accomplishments undertaken at the state level, such as the implementation of universal paid family and medical leave, he decided to vote for McBride. McBride's identity was part of it. 

"I knew that she was trans, and being gay myself, I wanted to see someone like me, someone part of my community, be successful," John Carpenter, 42, said. "She’s like a hero to me." He went on to say that as a teacher, McBride's electoral victory is "a really big deal" for his "trans students."

The Human Rights Campaign, which for years tracked businesses by a metric of their friendliness of LGBTQ rights and causes, piped up on McBride's win, saying "This historic victory reflects not only increasing acceptance of transgender people in our society, ushered in by the courage of visible leaders like Sarah, but also her dogged work in demonstrating that she is an effective lawmaker who will deliver real results."

McBride previously served as the Human Rights Campaign's national press secretary. Many businesses spoke out against the group's metric this year and dropped it from their consideration as to how to run their businesses for customers, employees and shareholders.

McBride has been publicly trans since coming out in 2012 at American University, revealing the identity in the pages of the student newspaper after completing a term as student body president. McBride was an intern with the Obama administration, making identity history as the "first out trans woman to work in the White House," NBC notes. 

After that, McBride racked up a number of trans firsts, such as being the first trans person to speak at a major political convention, the 2016 DNC, or becoming Delaware's first trans state senator in 2020. 

GLAAD, like HRC, was ecstatic, saying in a statement "The election of Sarah McBride is groundbreaking for the transgender community and our entire country, and it is no surprise. Sarah is a spectacular public servant who works her heart out to improve people’s lives. Sarah’s win is a victory for transgender visibility, and should serve as a reminder that trans people should of course be free to be themselves and contribute their talents. Her voice and presence will ensure that Congress better represents the best of America. Congratulations to Sarah and to her constituents on this historic milestone that will accelerate acceptance for all transgender people."