When asked to write about the future of American politics, Blogger Erik decided to write about Delaware state Senator-elect Sarah McBride. With so many other historical events defining 2020, Senator-elect McBride adds one more–making history as the first transgender senator. And, what better day to publish than today, Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020.
By Erik Bearman
On November 3rd, 2020, Sarah McBride, a renowned advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, defeated Steve Washington and is now set to become the U.S.A.’s first openly transgender senator.
McBride’s victory is a defining moment in our country’s political history, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. McBride is only a few months away from becoming the nation’s highest ranking, openly transgender politician. As a senator, she will focus on legislation regarding trans-rights. This gives hope to the trans community because McBride will be looking out for their interests in the Senate and help pass LGBTQ+ protection bills. She will also try to block bills that may harm trans people or anyone else of the LGBTQ+ community.
But McBride is not only advocating for trans rights. The many things she is advocating for include accessible health care, criminal justice reform, renewable energy, and gun safety laws.
Andrew Cray, Sarah McBride’s late husband, tragically lost his life to cancer in 2014. This ordeal made expanding health care accessibility a priority for McBride. McBride has also stated that she wants “[to lower] insurance and prescription costs, and [fight] for comprehensive coverage for all of us” (sarahmcbride.com).
McBride believes that correcting our criminal justice system will be beneficial for our communities. And, although much progress has been made in recent years, she does not want to stop just yet. McBride claims she’s “committed to . . . investing in training and employment for ex-offenders, and breaking down the school-to-prison pipeline” (sarahmcbride.com).
One of the biggest issues facing the country is the threat posed by climate change. Moving forward, McBride wants to create green jobs in green industries in order to boost the U.S. economy and communities as well as investing in renewable energy for the future.
McBride, like many of her voters, is a supporter of common sense gun safety laws. These types of laws will ban the sales of assault weapons and also require those wishing to purchase a gun to have a license before doing so.
Overall, McBride’s election is a victory for the Democratic party moving forward and provides hope for members of the LGBTQ+ community everywhere.
Sources:
Future of Politics Editor: Jake Sonderman