My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American. Sarah McBride More Quotes by Sarah McBride More Quotes From Sarah McBride While there certainly are examples of individuals killed by people they know, including partners, many of the transgender people who have been killed are murdered by almost complete strangers, more people need to understand this epidemic of violence targeting minority people in this country, including transgender people, is hate-based and a byproduct of existing prejudice inflamed by politicians all too eager to appeal to the darker undercurrent of society. Sarah McBride health-news When there is a mix of misogyny, transphobia and racism, people who live in the intersection of multiple identities, the violence they face can be inflamed by the multiplying prejudices. Sarah McBride health-news In my view, the best of humanity is in our exercise of empathy and compassion. It's when we challenge ourselves to walk in the shoes of someone whose pain or plight might seem so different than yours that it's almost incomprehensible. Sarah McBride walkbestshoespain I want to make sure that people understand that, behind this national conversation around transgender rights, there are real people who hurt when they're mocked, who hurt when they're discriminated against, and who just want to be treated with dignity and respect. Sarah McBride understandrespecthurtpeople There is no one-size-fits-all narrative; everyone's path winds in different ways. Sarah McBride windseveryonedifferentpath The harassment and the bullying that students face is a learned behavior. Sarah McBride facebullyingbehaviorstudents Like all women, my path to womanhood is unique. No two paths are the same. Each of us travel with different privileges, challenges, and perspectives - some limiting, others illuminating. Sarah McBride womenpathchallengestravel A life in pursuit of position or power is not a life well-lived or in service to others. Sarah McBride serviceservice-to-otherspowerlife Access to public facilities like bathrooms is important for transgender people. But the fight for transgender rights does not begin and end at the bathroom door. Sarah McBride endfighttransgenderpeople Transgender people, especially transgender women of color, face pervasive discrimination throughout life, including by those sworn to protect us. Sarah McBride facewomenlifepeople My whiteness, economic privilege, able-bodied privilege, family support, and so many other factors shield me from some of the worst possible consequences - often fatal ones - that result from the toxic combination of misogyny, racism, and anti-trans sentiment. Sarah McBride mesupportfamilyracism When gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals come out, their friends and families, for the most part, understand what it feels like to love and to lust. Cisgender people have more of a challenge when it comes to transgender identities. I discovered that analogy of homesickness in conversations with my parents, in trying to bridge that empathy divide. Sarah McBride parentsfriendslovepeople Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Jeff Sessions are using their powers and offices to make life as difficult as possible for everyone from the transgender worker to the gay widower to the queer undocumented immigrant. These efforts are not about bathrooms or religious freedom; they're about driving LGBTQ people out of public life. Sarah McBride gayfreedomlifepeople I remember, as a child, lying in my bed at night praying that I would wake up the next day and be a girl, to be my authentic self, and to just have my family be proud of me. I remember looking into the mirror struggling to say just two words, 'I'm transgender.' Sarah McBride mirrordaymefamily Days after being sworn in as the nation's top law enforcement officer, Trump's attorney general, the virulently anti-LGBTQ Jeff Sessions, revoked lifesaving guidance promoting the protection and dignity of transgender students. Sarah McBride nationtransgenderdignitylaw Transgender people frequently face bias in court and are assigned unsupportive public defenders, factors which lead to more extreme sentences and longer incarcerations. Sarah McBride facemoretransgenderpeople During my sophomore year at American University, I was elected president of the student body. At the same time, I was struggling with my identity and whether or not to come out as transgender. Sarah McBride transgenderbodyidentitytime LGBTQ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts. Sarah McBride lawsstillhatepeople I've always been Sarah. My gender identity has always existed. I've always been a woman. Gay people aren't straight before they come out as gay, and transgender people are who they are before they come out and transition. Sarah McBride womangenderidentitypeople When the boys and girls would line up separately in kindergarten, I'd find myself longing to be in the other line. Sarah McBride findmyselfupkindergarten
