I’ll talk about the April 20 episode of Pods save AmericaDelaware Democrats compared GOP’s political tactics to reality television dramas.
“Some of my colleagues treat me the way they treat me because they want attention,” McBride said. “They want to adopt Bravo’s TV strategy to attract attention on the bodies of 435 people. The way to do that is by choosing a fight with someone and throwing wine in their faces.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dup0capi72k
It’s a colorful comparison, but one McBride says it reflects the offensive performance he has experienced since taking office. McBride, who was elected in 2024, entered Congress while describing it as an “a complete storm” of anti-trans rhetoric, especially under the Trump Vance administration.
Despite the pressure, McBride said he would try to choose his battle wisely.
“I’m not always going to do that right,” she admitted. “If I’m a topic, it’s my job to create people who are trying to make the topic look smaller. If my constituents, who are trans are topics, I’ll fight back.”
That measured approach was on display last month when Rep. Keith Self of R-Texas was calling McBride the wrong McBride “Mr. McBride” on the house floor. Without missing the beat, McBride responded calmly and clearly. “Thank you, Madame Chair.”
However, not all cases are so subtle. In another troubling moment, R-Colo MP Lauren Boebert reportedly mistaken the Cisgender woman for McBride while trying to carry out her version of bathroom policing at Capitol Hill.
“They ran to the bathroom and after a few seconds they thought this woman was me, so they left badly,” McBride said. “There’s one trans person in Congress. They can’t even police one trans person in Congress and one toilet that’s right off the floor.”
McBride has consistently used her platform to highlight the harms of anti-trans laws, not just for trans Americans, but also for cisgender people who get caught up in the cross.
“We’re already seeing very predictable outcomes, especially at this inflamed moment,” she said, pointing to a recent report from a CIS woman who was fired after mistakenly assuming that her client was transgender. “Apparently, if you have shoulder length hair and glasses, you’re told you don’t belong to the women’s toilet under their administration.”
She navigates the hostile political landscape, but McBride says she is not reactive, focusing on using her role to fight Smart.
“My power doesn’t give them that,” she said. “The response may feel good for now, but it gives them exactly what they want.”
If you or someone you know is influenced by this story, support is available.
Trans Lifeline provides peer support from the (877)565-8860 transformers and non-binary operators. The line is open Monday through Friday, from 10am to 6pm and Pacific/1pm to 9pm.
Source: Gayety – gayety.co
