DNC Speaker Sarah McBride Gave Trans Americans the Voice They Desperately Need

Americans have been anticipating McBride's address for the last several days; her presence on the stage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is an historic turning point for transgender representation in the halls of government and a symbolic seizure of the same political arena that has historically criminalized, or dangerously disregarded, transgender citizens of the United States.

Maloney couldn't stop smiling as he introduced McBride, and the crowd, mirroring his excitement, never stopped roaring. This same enthusiasm was shared on social media and in editorials by publications like Time magazine. This is the product of the last few years of advancement for transgender representation across American culture. Many people who once knew nothing about the trans communities of this nation have come to care about them. So McBride didn't just stand before the American people last night as herself: She stood there as a representative of the millions of transgender people who desperately need their government to finally do its duty to protect and serve them.

"My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American," McBride beamed. Cameras cut to the crowd, where people looked up at her with a similar pride, their hands held above their heads clapping in recognition of her achievement. In her three-minute speech, McBride told a story of her life; she came out as trans in college and worried that her identity would become an obstacle, separating her from the life she planned for herself in politics. Today McBride is the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign.

Instead of being hindered by her identity, McBride went on to intern at the White House and worked with lawmakers to enact protections for trans people in Delaware, her home state. She used her time on stage to say that, despite the progress we are making, there is still so much more to do. This election, she said, will determine what kind of country we choose to be. "Will we be a nation where there's only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live?" McBride demanded. "Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally? A nation that's stronger together."

McBride's important political message was bolstered by a harrowing personal story of love and loss. Her husband was a transgender man and activist named Andy. He lost his battle against cancer days after they married. "[Andy] never wavered in his commitment to our cause, and his belief that this country can change," McBride said. "Knowing Andy left me profoundly changed. But more than anything else, his passing taught me that every day matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest."

She believes that Hillary Clinton will help to change the fate of trans Americans, that, if elected, Clinton will enable the passage of the Equality Act, an amendment to the civil rights bill of 1964 which would institute federal protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. In many states, it is still legal to discriminate against someone in employment or housing because they are transgender. Clinton, McBride said, will help "to combat violence against transgender women of color, and to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic once and for all."

Harper Jean Tobin is the Policy Director of the National Center of Transgender Equality (NCTE), the leading social justice advocacy organization for transgender people in the United States. In a statement issued to Broadly, Tobin said that McBride's speech was powerful, and that it "showed that transgender people share the same values and aspirations as their fellow Americans." Like McBride, Tobin and the NCTE understand that there are still "daunting challenges" facing the trans people in the United States.

Andy was once a law fellow with the NCTE, Tobin explained. "Sarah and her late husband Andrew represent the best of our nation's commitment to equality, fairness, and the pursuit of happiness," she said.

It may be difficult to summarize the importance of McBride's speech at the DNC, but that importance is not difficult to understand. McBride is a trans woman who spoke on one of the most powerful and visible political platforms that this country knows. She spoke candidly about the atrocity of the AIDS epidemic, which still plagues trans communities, and the dire conditions trans women of color are subjected to in this country. Trans people finally have a voice to the ear of government. When that voice is silenced, there are devastating consequences. This is self-evident in the staggering rates of violence, addiction, and suicide within the trans population of the US.

"Today in America, LGBT people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and hearts. Many still struggle just to get by," McBride said. "I believe that tomorrow can be different."