U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride is getting candid like never before.
As the first out transgender politician elected to Congress, McBride's her journey to the U.S. House of Representatives has been no easy feat. Although she's making history by proudly representing the state of Delaware, she's working hard for a blue wave to take over the rest of the country during the midterms later this year.
"I am determined to enter a Democratic majority in January of 2027. I'm determined as a member of Congress, but even more so as an American, so we can pull the emergency brake on this administration. Hopefully, we can protect our constituents from the hate and the harm of Donald Trump," McBride tells Out.
McBride believes a shift is happening as some of President Trump's loyal supporters are starting to question his latest policies. Queer Democrats are also standing strong as they fight back against homophobic rhetoric by continuing to live out and proud, as opposed to going back in the closet.
"We need to lay the foundation for 2029, when God willing, the blue wave reaches The White House. Republicans in Congress and Donald Trump don't actually believe that trans people are the biggest threat to our community. They're doing it for cynical, political reasons and I think the public is seeing that."
The Democratic Party has warmly embraced McBride since her campaign began, but that's not the case for members of the Republican Party. In her new documentary State of Firsts, the Congresswoman reveals how the negative backlash severely affected her mental health long before her work in politics.
"When I first got involved in advocacy, I remember when the hate started to pour in. I remember wondering in that moment whether I had skin that was thick enough. Frankly for the first and only moment in my life, I thought about how to get out of it in the most extreme way. I went through a lot of soul searching in the aftermath of that."
Similar to many other gay icons and queer pioneers, McBride has found motivation from members of the LGBTQ+ community to keep up the good fight and not listen to any form of hate or bigotry.
"Everyone deals with an insecurity. The thing about out, openly proud LGBTQ+ people, is that we've taken that fact and we are living it out loud with Pride. The bullies see that power and they're jealous of it. Everyone needs to understand they are powerful just by being. They carry that power from the safest of places to the scariest of spaces."
State of Firsts is playing in theaters now. To see the full interview with Rep. Sarah McBride, check out the video at the top of the page.
