A Wilmington native will be the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention when she addresses the Democratic National Convention Thursday night.
Sarah McBride, born in Wilmington in 1990, is press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization.
McBride announced her transgender status in her last week as student body president at American University in 2011. It was widely featured on NPR and the Huffington Post. Prior to that, she had worked on several campaigns, including Attorney General Beau Biden’s 2010 campaign and Gov. Jack Markell’s 2008 campaign. The Bidens and Markell supported McBride in her decision to go public.
McBride worked to pass Delaware’s legislation banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity in 2013. On signing the legislation, Gov. Markell said, “I especially want to thank my friend Sarah McBride, an intelligent and talented Delawarean who happens to be transgender. She courageously stood before the General Assembly to describe her personal struggles with gender identity and communicate her desire to return home after her college graduation without fear. Her tireless advocacy for passage of this legislation has made a real difference for all transgender people in Delaware.”
A record number of LGBTQ delegates — including 27 transgender delegates — will also be attending the Democratic convention.
