INTERVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MACKLIN FISHMAN
SARAH MCBRIDE, DELAWARE STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 1
THE AP GOVERNMENT CLASSROOM AT CAB CALLOWAY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, WITH HER AP GOVERNMENT TEACHER, BRIAN WINNINGTON, AND HER FRIENDS AND FORMER CLASSMATES, LIZ RICHARDS AND MAT MARSHALL
“You can be the person who transforms what seems so impossible that it’s incomprehensible into a reality. Nothing is truly impossible. Indeed, the only things that are impossible are the things we don’t try.”
On her place of special meaning: We are here at Cab Calloway School of the Arts, which was my middle school and high school. Sort of the place where so much of my interest and involvement in politics and government began. This is a really special school and, even though I wasn't yet out as trans, it introduced me to a community that was accepting, embracing, that celebrated our differences, and—more than anything else—introduced me to people who continue to be my closest friends to this day. People who are creating change in our community. It’s really interesting because this is an arts school, but in many ways, it was also a school of politics. Because so many young people here when I was a student were involved in the community, were involved in change-making, were involved in campaigns and politics and government. And this was the place that not only showed me that people can be authentic and celebrated, but also that young people can have a say and a role in our government and our democracy.
On Telling Her Story: It was, I think, a constant balancing act of wanting to do justice by the trans community, but also wanting to be seen in the full complexity of my humanity. And, you know, never wanting to suggest to anyone that I was not proud of being trans, right, I am proud to be trans. But I’m proud of so many other experiences and perspectives that I bring to the table. And wanting to be seen, yes in my transness, but in all that I bring to the table was certainly a constant struggle. It was a constant reality to navigate … Telling my story, in my own words, all of my story, was important for me. One, because that story informs my politics, it informs my priorities. But in reclaiming my own narrative, if I don’t tell my story, then others will. And if others do, it will be so focused on my trans identity that it won’t capture all that I bring to the table and all of my life experience.
On her advice to people with marginalized identities who want to run for office, but are nervous or scared that they will experience a real threat or backlash: A lot of times in politics when we’re talking to candidates, particularly candidates who win their races, we don’t focus on the fact that those candidates had the exact same fears as everyone else. Running for office, people don’t do that because they’re fearless. It’s because they have the courage to run in spite of their fear … It’s certainly true that it’s hard to be what you can’t see, but it’s not impossible. You can be that change. You can be the person who transforms what seems so impossible that it’s incomprehensible into a reality. Nothing is truly impossible. Indeed, the only things that are impossible are the things we don’t try.