Democrats rally behind first out transgender member of Congress, decry Republican attacks

At a Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday, Rep. Becca Balint watched as colleagues approached and offered their support to Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, who will soon be sworn in as the first out transgender member of Congress. “This incredibly craven and cruel attack directed at was certainly intended to dehumanize her before she has even been sworn in, but it actually doesn’t just affect our first trans member of Congress,” Balint said. And it also impacts every single one of our constituents who come into the halls of Congress to meet with us.” Speaking out in opposition to the measures is about supporting McBride, who is “a serious legislator” and wants to get to work on a range of tough issues without having to worry about where she can get to a toilet, Balint said. Those are the things that we should get to work on, that I’m sure Sarah would want to get to work on — and this is just off the deep end.” Rep. Jan Schakowsky called the measures attacking McBride “absolutely outrageous” and “completely out of line.” In her own remarks, McBride has acknowledged what many view as the bigotry at the root of the Republican measures, but also tried to refocus the conversation on getting things done for her constituents. On Thursday, she made clear that she will work to ensure Capitol Hill is safe for everyone, including her LGBTQ+ constituents, but doesn’t plan on allowing “a right wing culture war machine” to turn her identity “into the issue.” Lisa Goodman, a longtime LGBTQ+ activist in Delaware and friend of McBride’s, said the representative-elect’s family and friends back home “are disappointed that this is how people who are going to be her colleagues are greeting her.” But they aren’t worried, Goodman said, because they know McBride is capable of navigating such waters.