First openly trans congresswoman tells trans youth not to give up hope amid GOP onslaught

Throughout the Republican midterm convention, Republicans consistently fearmongered about transgender people , the possibility of their playing in women’s sports and Democratic support for children under 18 receiving health care to transition.

But ahead of the convention, the first openly transgender member of Congress had an important message for transgender youth: do not give up hope.

And Rep. Sarah McBride should know. In 2024, she became the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress in 2024 after serving as a state senator from Delaware — and despite a wave of anti-trans sentiment across the country .

“I can tell them, as someone who is trans and who every single day spends my day talking with people across the political and ideological divide,” she told The Independent . “I can tell you that most people are good and decent and kind, and we are not as divided as the algorithms make it seem.”

But as Republicans remain down in the polls — even in red states like Texas — they have increasingly leaned into anti-trans advertisements. On Friday, the Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC affiliated with Majority Leader John Thune, launched an attack ad criticizing Senate candidate James Talarico for voting against a piece of legislation that would ban puberty blockers and transition surgeries for children under 18.

“Radical liberal James Talarico, for They/Them, not you,” the ad says. The line harks back to President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign ad that used the same line : “Kamala is for They/Them, President Trump is for you.” In addition, Vice President JD Vance attacked Talarico for talking about Talarico’s support for transgender youth.

Vance also seemed to imply that Talarico preys upon transgender youth.

“A guy that age who was so obsessed and focused on transgender children, I don't know about you, but I never want to see that guy's web browser history,” Vance said in Dallas Thursday night.

But McBride said that the focus on transgender people rings hollow amid the war in Iran.

“Well, they're still obsessed, they've been obsessed,” she told The Independent . “They are the party that is fomenting culture wars while also starting forever wars.”

Republicans have not just attacked Democrats for supporting transgender people competing in women’s sports. Polling shows a majority of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.

McBride said that Republicans have focused on transgender issues as a bogeyman issue consistently since returning to power. The majority party has attempted to pass legislation that failed that would ban trans women from competing in sports.