Sarah McBride is the Delaware State Senator-elect who ran against Republican Steven Washington in the 2020 election. However, Sarah McBride is not just a new senator, she is the first openly transgender state senator in the United States. Here is her story on how she rose up and how she is making history.
McBride was born Aug. 9, 1990, in Wilmington, DE. McBride was assigned male at birth, but grew up battling with her gender identity. At a young age, McBride would feel shame with admitting to herself that she was transgender and kept her feelings repressed. McBride also felt a strong connection with politics from a very young age.
At 17, McBride became a leader in her state’s chapter of Young Democrats and began working alongside Jack Markell’s campaign for governor. Later, she became a student government president during her junior year at American University, in which she advocated for gender-neutral housing and created the “Sexuality and Queer Studies” minor at her university. During her final year at American University, McBride had an internship with President Barack Obama’s administration at the White House, which made her the first transgender person to ever work at the White House.
After college, she joined the Board of Directors of Equality Delaware in 2013, where she and others advocated for non-discrimination legislation. The legislation got signed into law in June of 2013. In 2016, McBride spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, making her the first transgender person to speak at a national party convention. McBride also worked with the late Beau Biden during his time as Delaware’s Attorney General.
Currently, McBride is a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, an author and is now the Delaware State Senator where she plans on reforming their criminal justice system, expanding paid leave and making healthcare more affordable. Sarah McBride is paving the way for many young LGBTQ+ youth by representing them and showing that no matter what you identify as or who you love, you can do anything.
