Every four years, Sarah McBride seems to level up.
In 2012, she made history by becoming the first openly trans person to work at the White House when she interned in President Barack Obama’s administration. Just four years later, she was the first openly trans person to speak at a major political party’s convention, addressing the crowd at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
“Will we be a nation with only one way to love, one way to look, and one way to live — or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally, a nation that’s stronger together?” she asked during her speech.
This is a question that’s remained relevant. Donald Trump, who won against Hillary Clinton in 2016, was just elected to a second four-year term in the White House in 2024 as president.
“Today in America, LGBTQ+ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts. Many still struggle just to get by,” McBride said at the DNC in 2016. “But I believe that tomorrow can be different. Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected.”
Since that speech, McBride has done what she can to make that belief a tangible reality. She was elected to the Delaware State Senate in 2020, becoming the first openly trans person to hold office in a US state legislature — and in 2024, she continued her own legacy as a trailblazer by becoming the nation’s first openly trans member of Congress. She’s also the youngest woman currently serving.
“I didn’t run to make history,” she told Delaware Online just after she cast her own vote on Nov. 5.
Her Republican opponent, John Whalen, endorsed Project 2025, was focused on “illegal immigration,” and wanted to make cuts to federal spending. In contrast, McBride campaigned on the importance of securing better paid family and medical leave, improving Medicaid funding, making childcare and eldercare services more affordable, and addressing climate change. The two also had differing views on legislative approaches to gun safety and reproductive rights.
“She’s been very clear that she’s going to Washington to work for all people,” said Delaware State Rep. Eric Morrison — who has worked with McBride since 2020 in the state legislature. “I also know she’ll keep a strong relationship with Delawareans.”
Both she and Morrison believe McBride’s win has little to do with her trans identity — although she has said she’ll continue to fight on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, they believe it more likely reflects that Delaware voters share her values and believe she’ll best represent their needs and causes.
“To have the first ever transgender member of Congress gives me hope,” said Morrison, while also underlining the importance of not placing McBride in a box. “She gets known as the transgender elected official. I get labeled as the gay elected official. But the vast majority of what we do with legislation is just to help people in general.”
The tendency to view LGBTQ+ people only through the lens of their queer identities can make LGBTQ+ politicians a target for hateful messaging. Morrison said he and McBride supported each other through hostility that emerged at the end of their 2024 campaigns — when McBride was continually deadnamed and Morrison, who is a drag queen, was called a pedophile.
“We’ve also talked multiple times about the issues you face as an openly LGBTQ+ elected official — the horrible things people say about you, the names people call you,” Morrison said, calling McBride both a colleague and a friend. “How do you deal with that?”
Before even starting her new role as a US congresswoman — which will begin when she’s sworn in on Jan. 3 — McBride was already used as a political pawn when Speaker of the House Mike Johnson implemented a discriminatory bathroom rule that forces members to use restrooms at the Capitol according to their sex assigned at birth.
“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride posted to social media in response. “We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars.”
Some LGBTQ+ people criticized her decision to abide by the rule — but Morrison said, “She’s handling it in a classy way,” underlining that no one else understands the pressure she’s under as she just tries to do her job in the face of clear bigotry.
Despite having both developed what Morrison called a “hard shell,” he said they both worry about the impact queerphobic rhetoric can have on young people and those who aren’t out — as they’re more vulnerable.
Morrison organized a rally he called the Rainbow of Hope after Trump won the 2024 election — a gathering for LGBTQ+ Delawareans to hear from each other and feel the power of community despite their uncertainty and fears. A chorus performed and LGBTQ+ people shared personal testimonies.
McBride also spoke at the event, and Morrison was excited about her ability to “bring hope.”
“We know that the story of our movement, the story of our community, the story of this country is the story of advocates, activists and effective and compassionate elected officials — working together to right the wrongs of our past, to address injustice, to bring about change that once seemed so impossible,” she told the crowd.
It’s leadership like her own that makes change possible.
McBride has championed many causes — helping to pass legislation that has expanded access to health care, improved mental health and media literacy education in public schools, promoted environmentally-conscious technologies, protected workers and families, and established LGBTQ+ rights.
Morrison is especially proud of a collaborative effort — in which both legislators worked to pass a bill that banned the LGBTQ+ panic defense, which deflects blame away from an attacker by weaponizing a victim’s LGBTQ+ identity. Morrison, who first introduced the bill in the state House of Representatives, said many of his cis-het colleagues had never heard of the courtroom strategy. He was surprised by how difficult it was to get support.
But when the bill finally reached the state Senate, McBride didn’t seem to have that same problem. In the end, every Republican signed on as co-sponsor, and the bill passed.
“What a powerful moment that was over in the Senate,” Morrison said, who noted that the pair hasn’t always had it “easy” when it came time to advocate for LGBTQ+-related issues. “And I think that speaks to the respect that they have for her over there as well.”
“She’s smart as a whip, and she knows how to get things done,” Morrison added, underlining that McBride has a special knack for developing relationships even across party lines. “She’s terrific with having patience even with people who are not supportive of her for various reasons.”
Morrison noted that McBride genuinely cares about people, giving her the motivation to work in politics for a long time.
“I think she can go as far as she wants to go in government,” he added, predicting an accomplished future in the years to come.
Sarah McBride is not the only member of the LGBTQ+ community making waves. Check out PGN’s honorable mentions for 2024.
