Congratulations to Danica Roem

[Stavros]

From the US Press comes news of an historic election victory and a first for transgendered Americans.

"A Virginia politician made history Tuesday night, becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to any state legislature in the United States. Danica Roem, 32, just won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, defeating Republican incumbent Robert Marshall in the 13th District.

"Roem, a former journalist, won a surprise victory in the Democratic primary in June (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-06-13/the-latest-polls-open-in-virginias-primary-election). She took on the ultra-conservative Marshall, who has been in office for more than 20 years and who has taken anti-LGBTQ stances. For instance, he proposed (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-lawmaker-proposes-a-bathroom-bill-to-restrict-public-bathroom-use-by-transgender-people/2017/01/04/a01580e2-d2a4-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html?utm_term=.b35268de0306) the state’s (ultimately failed (https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/what-death-virginia-s-bathroom-bill-means-lgbtq-rights-n710066)) “bathroom bill” that would have required transgender people to use the public restroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate.

Roem overcame her opponent’s brutal personal attacks (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/campaign-flier-paid-for-by-virginia-gop-misgenders-democratic-candidate/2017/10/28/91e28e6c-bc1d-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.5186b66f7fb6), making her historic victory extra sweet. And it’s adding to what’s looking like powerhouse Democratic showing in the state with Ralph Northam’s win (https://www.vox.com/2017/11/7/16619800/2017-election-virginia-governor-northam) over Ed Gillespie."
https://www.vox.com/2017/11/7/16621664/virginia-danica-roem-transgender-state-legislator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Roem

[Kiwi_bloke]

My congratulations also!

And if she wants to party to enjoy her success, feel free to invite me along.

I'd play.

[Gillian]

I see Trump has yet to tweet his reaction ...

[Stavros]

More on Danica in this article in The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/08/danica-roem-virginia-first-transgender-person-elected-state-legislature

Another article points out-
Stacie Laughton was elected in New Hampshire in 2012, but resigned before taking office. Althea Garrison was elected in Massachusetts in 1992, but her transgender status was not widely known.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/shortcuts/2017/nov/08/danica-roem-the-transgender-face-of-the-democrats-us-revival

While also, yesterday Andrea Jenkins was elected to Minneapolis City Council, proving that transgendered activists, Black or White can win votes and seats-
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/transgender-person-color-elected-public-office-u-s-article-1.3618121

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcZywYyf4sI

[hardharry585]

Another transgender elected official is actually Jeff Sessions, who used to be Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies

1037814

[fred41]

Also congratulations to Andrea Jenkins :https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/11/08/meet-andrea-jenkins-the-openly-transgender-black-woman-elected-to-public-office-in-the-u-s/?utm_term=.2654e9268cce

[LovinThaTSLadiez]

Congratulations!

[brummie]

She would have been the first if Althea Garrison hadn't been elected in 1992 in Massachusetts

So as Mr Trump would say that is fake news

[Stavros]

She would have been the first if Althea Garrison hadn't been elected in 1992 in Massachusetts
So as Mr Trump would say that is fake news
What the Fake President has to say is not worth reporting, and the Garrison point is made in the earlier post.

The sobering reality is that just as transgendered politicians can win elections based on policy rather than their sexuality, violent attacks on the LGBTQIAPN/B are on the increase in the USA, as reported in today's NYT here-

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/us/transgender-women-killed.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=9&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F1 1%2F09%2Fus%2Ftransgender-women-killed.html&eventName=Watching-article-click

[brummie]

So the fact a Republican transgender politican was elected 25 years before a Democrat isn't worth reporting because it doesn't fit the media agenda

[Stavros]

It was not reported at the time as it should have been because the gender identity of Althea Garrison was not known at the time, a simple omission of fact rather than a conspiracy to hide it and ignore it. It does not matter if the person is a Republican or a Democrat, that should be clear, so I guess the op should have identified Danica as 'the first publicly acknowledged' transgendered elected politician we are aware of, which does not diminish the achievement.

[whamm]

She would have been the first if Althea Garrison hadn't been elected in 1992 in Massachusetts

So as Mr Trump would say that is fake news

The claim is "the first openly transgender person to be elected to any state legislature in the United States." Operative word here is "openly."

Althea Garrison was outed against her will while she was serving. She wasn't elected when she was out. That's nothing against her. It's just a much different thing.

No fake news here at all.

[Erika1487]

From the US Press comes news of an historic election victory and a first for transgendered Americans.

"A Virginia politician made history Tuesday night, becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to any state legislature in the United States. Danica Roem, 32, just won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, defeating Republican incumbent Robert Marshall in the 13th District.

"Roem, a former journalist, won a surprise victory in the Democratic primary in June (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-06-13/the-latest-polls-open-in-virginias-primary-election). She took on the ultra-conservative Marshall, who has been in office for more than 20 years and who has taken anti-LGBTQ stances. For instance, he proposed (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-lawmaker-proposes-a-bathroom-bill-to-restrict-public-bathroom-use-by-transgender-people/2017/01/04/a01580e2-d2a4-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html?utm_term=.b35268de0306) the state’s (ultimately failed (https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/what-death-virginia-s-bathroom-bill-means-lgbtq-rights-n710066)) “bathroom bill” that would have required transgender people to use the public restroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate.

Roem overcame her opponent’s brutal personal attacks (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/campaign-flier-paid-for-by-virginia-gop-misgenders-democratic-candidate/2017/10/28/91e28e6c-bc1d-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.5186b66f7fb6), making her historic victory extra sweet. And it’s adding to what’s looking like powerhouse Democratic showing in the state with Ralph Northam’s win (https://www.vox.com/2017/11/7/16619800/2017-election-virginia-governor-northam) over Ed Gillespie."
https://www.vox.com/2017/11/7/16621664/virginia-danica-roem-transgender-state-legislator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Roem

As a conservative republican this story just sickens me. :smh
First Bob Marshall was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYY out of fucking line with his rhetoric! He took the low road when he could of taken the high road and picked apart her for lack of political experience and her overall liberal ideas. After all it is for the most part a conservative seat that he held for over 20 years. The personal attacks and just poor political strategy sank his election chances.
Personally I would have not voted for Danica or Bob if I was a republican in that Virginia state seat.

[trish]

Bob Marshall opposed most forms of birth control in 1989 including the IUD He's the clown that in 2012 proposed that all women seeking an abortion undergo a trans-vaginal ultrasound for no reason whatsoever. He has been taking the low road his entire career. I thought Satanists (oops! I mean Trumplicans), by definition, always take the low road. So what spell did you use to return to HA after being banned...probably forever?

[Stavros]

As a conservative republican this story just sickens me. :smh
First Bob Marshall was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYY out of fucking line with his rhetoric! He took the low road when he could of taken the high road and picked apart her for lack of political experience and her overall liberal ideas. After all it is for the most part a conservative seat that he held for over 20 years. The personal attacks and just poor political strategy sank his election chances.
Personally I would have not voted for Danica or Bob if I was a republican in that Virginia state seat.

We await from our HGV driver Erika in Germany, guidance on the practical solutions to the traffic problems in Ms Roem's constituency that energised her campaign and swept her to victory.

[Erika1487]

Bob Marshall opposed most forms of birth control in 1989 including the IUD He's the clown that in 2012 proposed that all women seeking an abortion undergo a trans-vaginal ultrasound for no reason whatsoever. He has been taking the low road his entire career. I thought Satanists (oops! I mean Trumplicans), by definition, always take the low road. So what spell did you use to return to HA after being banned...probably forever?


Not every conservative is an asshole trish.................:smh

Bob Marshall has indeed a troubling past, but his party has been supportive of him because was a winner (up until this last Tuesday) and a political leader who has delivered in the Virginia state house for years.

I dunno what I did to get unbanned maybe you should ask Steven Grooby about that one :tongue:

[broncofan]

.
Personally I would have not voted for Danica or Bob if I was a republican in that Virginia state seat.
You seem to indicate that there was something incongruous about the attacks on Danica. He was playing to the Republican base by doing that, as the Republican President supported a transgender military ban and the Vice President is a homophobe who supports conversion therapy for children which is a form of psychological abuse. These aren't irrelevant personal attacks, but ones that play to the deep-seated disdain for the lgbt community among Republicans. Have you ever listened to what Conservative radio hosts have to say about transsexuals?

Again, the things Trish pointed out that you characterize as part of his "troubling past" are not at all fringe ideas among conservatives. You think it's out of character for Republicans to support measures intended to interfere with women's right to have an abortion? It's a feature, not a bug.

[Stavros]

Bob Marshall has indeed a troubling past, but his party has been supportive of him because was a winner (up until this last Tuesday) and a political leader who has delivered in the Virginia state house for years.


Delivered what? Dozens of votes on abortion, guns, schools and the death penalty, next to nothing that would deal with the traffic gridlock in Manassas County that Danica Roem campaigned on that voters actually care about -although Marshall did

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits a driver from opening a car door in a traffic lane until it is "reasonably safe."
https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/5162/bob-marshall

[Erika1487]

You seem to indicate that there was something incongruous about the attacks on Danica. He was playing to the Republican base by doing that, as the Republican President supported a transgender military ban and the Vice President is a homophobe who supports conversion therapy for children which is a form of psychological abuse. These aren't irrelevant personal attacks, but ones that play to the deep-seated disdain for the lgbt community among Republicans. Have you ever listened to what Conservative radio hosts have to say about transsexuals?

Again, the things Trish pointed out that you characterize as part of his "troubling past" are not at all fringe ideas among conservatives. You think it's out of character for Republicans to support measures intended to interfere with women's right to have an abortion? It's a feature, not a bug.

I watch and listen to Conservatives all the time I "KNOW" what they say about us transsexuals, but I don't mind the disagreement within our own party on trans rights.

[filghy2]

Not every conservative is an asshole trish

Unfortunately, principled conservatism seems to be almost dead within the Republican party, as the more sensible Republicans decide that fighting on is futile. What we have left is a combination of unbridled predatory capitalism and white christian tribalism (ie greed and resentment).

[Stavros]

Delivered what? Dozens of votes on abortion, guns, schools and the death penalty, next to nothing that would deal with the traffic gridlock in Manassas County that Danica Roem campaigned on that voters actually care about -although Marshall did

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits a driver from opening a car door in a traffic lane until it is "reasonably safe."
https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/5162/bob-marshall

I must post another correction, as the traffic gridlock Danica Roem is most concerned about is in Fairfax County, as is mentioned in this article on the beauty of boring political issues -
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/opinion/danica-roem-virginia-transgender.html