logo
‘State of Firsts' documentary explores Sarah McBride's historic first months in Congress

‘State of Firsts' documentary explores Sarah McBride's historic first months in Congress

NBC News04-06-2025
When Rep. Sarah McBride, the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said in November that she would comply with a policy from House Republicans that banned her from using public women's restrooms in the House, many in the transgender community were disappointed — and some even furious.
Some people expected McBride, as the only trans member of Congress, to fight more, especially given efforts by state Republicans and the Trump administration to roll back trans rights.
In 'State of Firsts,' a documentary about McBride's election that will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Saturday, McBride says the criticism from some in her own community hurt but that she felt she would be giving in to Republicans by responding in a way that made her less effective at her job.
'I also think people misunderstand the difference between activists and elected officials and the roles that those respective jobs play in social change and social movement,' she says. 'Even if you disagree with that, there would be a bounty on my head if I said that I would not comply.'
The documentary explores the unique pressures McBride faced entering Congress. It provides some of the first glimpses at how the bathroom resolution and the criticism from her own community has affected her, and it addresses questions about the limits and challenges of representation and of being a historic 'first' in federal office.
'It's easy to tell a simple story about a first or about a person's experience, but you don't get many lessons learned from simple stories,' McBride told NBC News ahead of the documentary's premiere. 'My motivation in agreeing to this was to hopefully help chronicle what it was truly like … so that others who come after me can maybe pull from some of the lessons and some of the experiences, so that their experience is maybe a little bit easier or they can do it a little bit better.'
Being first isn't necessarily new for McBride. She became the first out trans woman to work in the White House when she interned with the Obama administration, according to her 2018 memoir, 'Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality.' Then, in 2016, she became the first trans person to speak at a major political convention when she gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention. In 2020, she became the country's first openly trans state senator.
Though McBride had an idea of what it was like to be a 'first,' she entered Congress at an unprecedented time for trans people, as dozens of states have enacted restrictions on the bathrooms trans people can use in schools and government buildings and their access to transition-related care and school sports.
The documentary also shows how the Democratic Party has been fractured both by the conservative campaign to restrict trans rights and the ongoing war in Gaza.
The documentary shows McBride knocking on constituents' doors before the Democratic primary election in Delaware in September. McBride asks a constituent whether she can count on their support, and the constituent says, 'The only thing that would dissuade us from voting for you is can we count on you to call for a ceasefire?' McBride responds that she has called for a ceasefire, and the constituent asks, 'How much can we count on you to be vocal about it?' before becoming emotional and saying it's hard to see images of kids who 'look like our kid.' (The film also shows the reporter of this article asking McBride about the interaction in an interview.)
Chase Joynt, the documentary's director, said it was important for him to show that moment not only because it revealed an important issue for one of McBride's constituents, but also because it spoke to a larger theme of the film: that much of the public expected McBride to be an activist, even though that isn't who she has been for most of her political career as a progressive Democrat largely in line with the party's platform.
'One of the central tensions in the film and of this political moment are the frictions between activist and electoral strategies of social change and the pressures put on politicians, in particular, to make statements and make claims and to be constantly negotiating what's at stake in all of those moves,' Joynt said.
The documentary delves into the LGBTQ community's complex response to McBride's becoming a 'first.' It includes audio from Slate's 'Outward' podcast, in which writer Jules Gill-Peterson says, 'This first elected representative is really not one that it seems like many trans people are going to get excited about, given some of her policy positions and the way that she's sort of aligned with the party establishment.'
Co-host Christina Cauterucci, a Slate editor, responds: 'I think she's had to be like that. I think a trans person who was more radical in any sense just simply would not have achieved what she's achieved.'
Joynt said he hopes the documentary encourages people to think about the potentials and limitations of representation in political office.
'We can expand that conversation to think about a politics of representation that requires trans people to be good, that requires trans people to be palatable, to be on the right side, whatever that might mean, of certain issues,' Joynt said.
Joynt said one of the 'perils' of coverage of political figures, particularly those who are 'firsts,' is that 'we put a lot of pressure on individual people to represent all of the various issues and needs,' when, in reality, no one person of any identity can represent all relevant views.
McBride said that with this film, she wants people to see more than just headlines and short video clips. She wants them to get a glimpse of the tradeoffs and challenges — as well as the joy and humor — that come with being a first in Congress.
'It's so easy to forget the fullness of who people are and the complexities that every single person is navigating and often the impossible choices that people have to make,' she said.
She added that, since the bathroom resolution, she has become 'more confident now than I have ever been that the approach that I am taking since getting to Congress is working.'
'Some of my colleagues realized that I'm just not fun,' she said, laughing. 'I'm not going to give them the response that they want, because I always knew that this was not about their actual, genuine distaste for trans people, it's because they wanted attention, and because I refuse to let them use me as a pawn, the reality show has moved on to other free gimmicks.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Columbia University disciplines at least 70 students who took part in campus protests
Columbia University disciplines at least 70 students who took part in campus protests

NBC News

time28 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Columbia University disciplines at least 70 students who took part in campus protests

Columbia University has disciplined over 70 students for participating in two student-led protests, a source familiar with the matter said. The university confirmed in a statement Tuesday that it was punishing students who participated in the protest at the school's Butler Library, where at least 80 people were detained, as well as a similar demonstration during its annual alumni weekend last year. Columbia said it would not release the "individual disciplinary results of any student" but said that "sanctions from Butler Library include probation, suspensions (ranging from one year to three years), degree revocations, and expulsions." The source familiar with the matter told NBC News in a phone call that two-thirds of the suspended students were suspended for two years. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student group advocating for the university to divest its ties to Israel, said in a news release that nearly 80 students were informed Monday afternoon that they would be suspended for one to three years or expelled for participating in the protest in May. The student group claimed that the disciplinary letters required suspended students to submit apologies to the university to return to campus — or face expulsion. In its statement Tuesday, Columbia said, "Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community." "Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences," it said. The disciplinary crackdown comes several months after the Trump administration cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research grants to the university. Following those cuts, Columbia implemented a long list of new policies at the request of the Trump administration to begin negotiations on restoring federal funding. The university agreed to adjust its disciplinary process, ban masks at protests in most cases and hire dozens of new security officers, among other measures, according to a document the university said it shared with the federal government and posted on its website. Last year's student protests and encampments at the university, galvanized by the ongoing war in Gaza, drew both outrage and applause around the world. The unprecedented nature of the student-led protests — which marked the first time Columbia allowed police to suppress demonstrations at the university since protests against the Vietnam War in 1968 — made the university the de facto epicenter of similar demonstrations at universities nationwide. But some of Columbia's students previously told NBC News that protesting on the campus in recent months had become "dangerous" following the university's agreement with the Trump administration and the detainment of student activist Mahmoud Khalil by immigration authorities. Khalil, a graduate student who helped lead negotiations between student protesters and the university, was held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana for more than 104 days before he was released last month. However, the fears did not stop dozens from protesting the war and the university's ties to Israel in May. Dozens of demonstrators occupied a room in Butler Library during the May protest, as students were studying for their final exams. Protesters wore keffiyehs, chanted slogans and clashed with police and campus security officers, according to video of the demonstration posted on social media. Police officers prevented the demonstrators from leaving the library without presenting identification for some time before they began arresting students, the videos show. The protest resulted in the detainment of at least 80 people, according to New York police. Two campus security officers were injured during the protest, the university said at the time, because of a crowd surge. Columbia took similar disciplinary action in March for pro-Palestinian protests that took place on campus last year. It issued "multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations and expulsion" for students who overtook a university building, Hamilton Hall, at the height of last year's protests.

The Epstein saga continues to affect Washington: From the Politics Desk
The Epstein saga continues to affect Washington: From the Politics Desk

NBC News

timean hour ago

  • NBC News

The Epstein saga continues to affect Washington: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Tuesday! In today's edition, our Congress team breaks down how the Jeffrey Epstein saga is freezing up the House of Representatives. And speaking of the House, Steve Kornacki analyzes how mid-decade redistricting by Republicans in a few key states could alter the math of the midterms. — Scott Bland House cancels last day of votes before summer break as Epstein consumes Capitol Hill By Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart and Syedah Asghar The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its last workweek before the summer recess because of a fight on Capitol Hill over the release of the government's files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House was scheduled to hold votes on Thursday before lawmakers departed for their five-week recess. But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers on Tuesday that the final vote of the week would now be a day earlier, on Wednesday afternoon. The shift in schedule occurred because of a standoff on the Rules Committee, which decides how legislation comes to the floor but has been ground to a halt by the Epstein issue. The panel, which is closely aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., typically passes a rule for legislation on Monday that sets up debate and allows bills to come to the floor for the week. But Democrats had promised Monday to force the committee to take more votes on whether to require the Trump administration to release all remaining files from the Epstein case. To avoid embarrassing votes on Epstein, Republicans decided to recess the committee and not attempt to pass a rule for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would be left with nothing to vote on after Wednesday. The Epstein saga has dominated chatter on Capitol Hill for more than a week as many Trump supporters have clamored for the release of all documents related to the convicted sex offender and the president and his administration sought to downplay the issue. It appeared to be dying down in recent days, but the Trump administration breathed new life into the story Tuesday morning, when the Justice Department announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in the coming days. By Steve Kornacki In the coming weeks, Republicans in Texas and Ohio are expected to redraw their states' congressional maps. Their intent is transparent: to bolster their party's chances of protecting its super-slim House majority in next year's midterm elections. As it stands now, there are 220 Republican districts, meaning the party can afford a net loss of no more than two seats in 2026 and still keep the House. In theory, the redistricting effort could shift as many as eight seats from the Democratic to the GOP column, although the ultimate yield will depend on how aggressive the GOP gets — and how much the courts and voters will tolerate. It could also be offset by similar measures from Democrats in blue states like California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to do a redraw of his own but faces a far trickier process. Yet even if Republicans do emerge from a fresh round of redistricting with a batch of new, safe seats, it may still be woefully insufficient to keep the House, given the dramatic losses that the party in the White House often endures in midterm elections. It was during the first Trump presidency that the GOP coughed up a net 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms, easily losing control of the chamber. But the structure of the current Republican majority is much different than it was back in '18. Far fewer GOP seats now are in districts that are politically hostile to Trump and a far greater share are in politically safe Trump landslide districts. Nor are there as many marginal GOP incumbents in districts Trump carried only narrowly in the most recent presidential election. If successful, the redistricting push would amount to another big difference from 2018: It would give Republicans far more opportunities to play offense this time around.

Florida official under state investigation after hosting LGBTQ event
Florida official under state investigation after hosting LGBTQ event

NBC News

timean hour ago

  • NBC News

Florida official under state investigation after hosting LGBTQ event

Florida's attorney general announced Tuesday that he opened an investigation into the vice mayor of Vero Beach over a drag show held last month. Attorney General James Uthmeier alleged the 'Pride Tea Dance' that Vice Mayor Linda Moore held at the Kilted Mermaid, a wine bar she's owned for more than a decade, exposed children to a 'sexualized performance.' Uthmeier's office said Moore advertised the Pride Tea Dance on social media as 'all ages welcome,' but that the drag performances 'featured adult, sexualized performers in front of children, in violation of Florida law,' according to a press release from the attorney general's office. Neither the press release nor the subpoena Uthmeier's office sent Moore on July 8 specify what state law(s) she is under investigation for allegedly violating. Uthmeier's office did not immediately respond to questions. The subpoena, which Moore has to respond to by Aug. 8, requested surveillance video recordings of the exterior and interior of the Kilted Mermaid on the day of the Pride Tea Dance; copies of employee work schedules for June 28 to June 30; copies of documents that identify the performers for the event; and documents identifying security personnel or other staff responsible for checking identification and allowing entry, among other information. Moore said she was confused by the subpoena, particularly because it doesn't contain any claim of wrongdoing. 'We have the event every year, it's our gay pride event, and it is all ages,' Moore said in a phone interview. She said the bar has held the event for at least the past five years. 'It's a family-friendly event, and then once the drag show actually starts, we tell the parents who have small children that they can't stay for the show.' Sometimes parents want to stay anyway, Moore said, so she has maintained a policy that the first drag performance will be 'really tame,' with no profanity. Later on, when all the children are gone, the performances can be 'a little racy,' she said, but even during the adult-only performances, 'there's never nudity at any drag show.' The event first garnered criticism after it was the subject of social media posts from Jennifer Pippin, who leads a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national conservative parents organization. Pippin wrote in a Facebook post the day after the event that she submitted a complaint to the attorney general's office 'to formally report a violation of Florida's 'Protection of Children Act,' specifically Senate Bill 1438,' which prohibits children from attending 'adult live performances.' However, judges blocked the law from taking effect, suggesting that it is likely unconstitutional due to how broad and vague it is. The case is awaiting a trial in the Middle District of Florida. Critics have said the law defines adult live performances in a way that would include businesses that host drag shows. Pippin told NBC News she didn't know the law was blocked when she reported the event to the attorney general's office, but that the office told her other state laws restrict adult live performances. She said she did not attend the event, but she pointed to social media photos and videos that show children were in attendance. Pippin said children appeared to be there the entire night, a claim Moore disputes. Pippin said she asked Moore to resign during a city council meeting Tuesday. 'We have to protect the innocence of children at all costs from live adult entertainment shows,' Pippin told NBC News. 'We are happy the AG is on board with our sentiment as well.' Moore said the photos shared by Pippin, which, for example, show a performer in lingerie, mischaracterize what happened at the event. The photos that Pippin shared that show children at the event show that it was still light outside, Moore said, during the family-friendly portion of the event. The photos of the performer in lingerie, which don't show any children, were taken later in the evening during the adults-only portion of the event. Moore said that, despite the backlash, the community has been overwhelmingly supportive. 'We're not a gay bar. We're just a neighborhood bar, and we welcome everybody,' Moore said. She added that some community members have been worried that the Kilted Mermaid will stop hosting its LGBTQ-inclusive events, but she said that won't happen. 'We are committed to supporting everyone in the community like we always have, and gay pride will continue, and drag queen bingo will continue,' Moore said. 'Nothing has changed for us.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store