At Crooked Media’s inaugural Crooked Con, Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride issued an energetic and often humorous call to action for her party. If Democrats want to rebuild a winning coalition, they need to be more welcoming and reflective of the diversity of the voters they claim to represent. And that starts with embracing, in McBride’s words, “the big tent of bisexuality.”
McBride, a Delaware Democrat who made history as the nation’s first openly transgender state senator before being elected to Congress, is no stranger to coalition building. Speaking to a crowd of activists, organizers and political leaders, she argued that widespread electoral success for the Democratic Party depends on a recommitment to empathy, inclusivity and true coalition politics.
“The big tent is bisexuality. It goes left and right. It starts with us being kind to each other, respecting each other, and welcoming each other.”
Although McBride’s analogy was humorous, it highlighted a serious concern. She warned that the Democratic Party cannot afford to allow internal divisions at a time when the political stakes are so high. She stressed that both winning and effective governance depend on building genuine relationships with and among voters.
“You can’t build the diverse working-class coalition you need to win if people don’t feel like they like you,” she says. “In turn, it’s about caring for them and respecting them.”
McBride said that includes rethinking how Democrats talk about identity inside and outside the party. Identity politics has long been a talking point for conservatives, but ideological purity tests and negative attitudes toward some parts of their base can sometimes lead Democrats into counterproductive patterns, she warned.
“It also means we’re not being unkind to our own base,” McBride said. “That means not adopting identity politics or purity politics from center to left.”
Expanding the Democratic tent will require putting aside partisan instincts in favor of an attitude rooted in respect, McBride said. She argued that the party must become “the most welcoming coalition for everyone, from the left to the centre,” stressing that inclusivity should be an active practice rather than an abstract principle.
“At the end of the day, a big tent … can go both ways,” she said. “The big tent is bisexual.”
Her comments reflect a growing debate within the Democratic Party about its message, strategy and culture ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. After years of mixed results at the polls, party leaders and activists are increasingly calling for an approach that reconnects the party with voters who feel ignored or taken for granted, particularly those in working-class communities.
McBride’s remarks highlight how LGBTQ+ voices continue to shape that conversation, bringing both policy perspectives and lived experiences to broader ideological discussions. As one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ elected officials in the country, she has often argued that queer politics can serve as a model for inclusive organizing.
Her message to Democrats was equal parts rallying cry and reality check. If the party wants to win, it must welcome not only voters from different backgrounds, but also members of the coalition.
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
