A transgender woman will make history at the Democratic convention
Sarah McBride will be the first openly trans person to speak at a major political party's convention
“I’m so proud to stand with the LGBT Caucus and speak out in support of Hillary Clinton, because we know she stands with us.”
—Sarah McBride, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, in a statement. McBride will make history on Thursday as the first openly transgender person to speak at the convention of a major American political party. As well as her work for HRC, McBride also volunteers for Trans United for Hillary, and in 2014 was a recipient of Metro Weekly’s Next Generation Award.
“People must understand that even as we face daily harassment, tragic violence, and an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ political attacks across the country, we are real people merely seeking to be treated with the dignity and respect every person deserves,” McBride said in a statement.
HRC President Chad Griffin, who will also speak on Thursday, voiced his support for the inclusion of McBride in the DNC speaker lineup.
“Sarah’s inclusion in Thursday’s program is a significant milestone for our community,” he said in a statement, “and it sends a strong message that transgender people and their voices matter.”
McBride’s inclusion in the Democratic National Convention stands in stark contrast to last week’s Republican convention, where the party’s platform committee supported banning transgender people from public facilities that didn’t match their birth gender.
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