First openly transgender member of Congress, claims ‘A Bounty on My Head’

Delaware Democrat Representative Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender member of Congress and feels that there’s “a bounty on my head.”

McBride realized that everyday tasks in her new job would come with challenges. 

“The more I thought about it, I realized it would not be safe for me to use the restrooms,” McBride told the media.

Her concerns were confirmed on Inauguration Day, when President Donald Trump declared there are “only two genders.”

That same morning, McBride found herself walking beside Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, a strong critic of diversity and sexual minority programs. 

McBride called the moment “surreal.”

Within days of McBride’s arrival, Republican Representative Nancy Mace introduced a rule to prevent transgender people from using women’s restrooms in the Congress. 

Biological sex bathroom laws already exist in 13 states, but McBride said the proposal was “hardly a surprise.”

“It was an attempt to gain attention at the expense of a brand-new member of Congress,” said McBride.

In the weeks since, McBride has faced further political pressure. 

Trump signed an executive order stating the federal government would only recognize two sexes and they are not changeable. 

House Republicans also pushed forward a bill banning transgender women from female athletic programs in schools.

McBride has chosen not to speak on the floor about these orders and bills, insisting her first address should focus on economic concerns. 

“I want my first speech to be about the issues I campaigned on,” said McBride.

McBride believes athletic associations, not politicians, should decide rules for transgender participation in sports. 

“There are legitimate questions that need answers,” said McBride.

“But that is not Congress’s job.”

In 2012, McBride came out in a university newspaper column, revealing what she called “my deepest secret.”