Sarah McBride, the pioneering congresswoman from Delaware and the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, delivered a stirring rebuke to President Trump’s anti-transgender policies at the HRC Greater New York Dinner. Her remarks came amid a flurry of executive orders targeting LGBTQ+ rights, including restrictions on gender recognition, bans on transgender athletes, and cuts to federal support for transgender students.
McBride began by acknowledging the fear and uncertainty gripping many in the LGBTQ+ community. “I enter Congress during a critical time—a moment that tests our Constitution, our progress, and our humanity,” she said. She accused the administration of weaponizing government resources to marginalize transgender people, citing policies that force them out of official records and deny them access to essential services.
“They’re infringing on parental rights, hurting transgender youth, and purging dedicated service members simply because of who they are,” McBride continued. She also slammed efforts to police gender in public spaces, warning that such bans endanger all women.
With characteristic wit, McBride quipped, “They’re obsessed—we live rent free in their minds.” Yet she emphasized the importance of strategic activism. “We need to meet people where they are, not retreat into bubbles. Opening hearts and changing minds is the work we must do.”
Finally, McBride exposed the administration’s ulterior motives, accusing it of using transgender people as pawns to dismantle federal programs for financial gain. “I refuse to be used as a pawn. I refuse to let them succeed.” Her words served as both a rallying cry and a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality.
