Sarah Longwell

But what I do think is beneficial to both my constituents and the trans community is for me to be seen as a full human being. People might not be able to understand it. I might not be spending my time talking about that homesickness. But if people can see trans people beyond the caricature of unfair caricature of a self-obsessed inherently political being, I think that benefits the community.

But what I do think is beneficial to both my constituents and the trans community is for me to be seen as a full human being. People might not be able to understand it. I might not be spending my time talking about that homesickness. But if people can see trans people beyond the caricature of unfair caricature of a self-obsessed inherently political being, I think that benefits the community.

And I think it helps to at least implicitly fill that knowledge gap.

And I think it helps to at least implicitly fill that knowledge gap.

When I announced in June of 2023, I knew that trans issues were going to be at the center of politics, but I did not anticipate that. that we would see a $200, $300 million sustained campaign, that you'd have a Republican trifecta that they feel like they built on the backs of attacking trans people. Like I said at the start, I sort of entered within a perfect storm on these issues.

When I announced in June of 2023, I knew that trans issues were going to be at the center of politics, but I did not anticipate that. that we would see a $200, $300 million sustained campaign, that you'd have a Republican trifecta that they feel like they built on the backs of attacking trans people. Like I said at the start, I sort of entered within a perfect storm on these issues.

And I'll start by saying I'm not always going to get it right. There are going to be times where I don't respond that I should respond and times when I respond when I shouldn't respond. The way I have thought about it is that broadly speaking, if I am the topic, then it is my job to make the people who are trying to make me the topic seem small.

And I'll start by saying I'm not always going to get it right. There are going to be times where I don't respond that I should respond and times when I respond when I shouldn't respond. The way I have thought about it is that broadly speaking, if I am the topic, then it is my job to make the people who are trying to make me the topic seem small.

If my constituents who are trans are the topic, then I will fight back. I don't, I think it clearly Some of my colleagues are treating me the way they are treating me for a couple of reasons. One, it's because they want attention, right? They want to employ the strategies of a Bravo TV show to get attention in a body of 435 people.

If my constituents who are trans are the topic, then I will fight back. I don't, I think it clearly Some of my colleagues are treating me the way they are treating me for a couple of reasons. One, it's because they want attention, right? They want to employ the strategies of a Bravo TV show to get attention in a body of 435 people.

And the way to do that is to pick a fight with someone and throw wine in their face. They want to clout chase off of me. And I'm just like part of my power is not giving them attention. as much opportunity, because I got to tell you, the media coverage when I respond versus when I don't respond is night and day.

And the way to do that is to pick a fight with someone and throw wine in their face. They want to clout chase off of me. And I'm just like part of my power is not giving them attention. as much opportunity, because I got to tell you, the media coverage when I respond versus when I don't respond is night and day.

So I'm giving them what they want when I respond in a way that might feel viscerally comforting to me and the community, but I'm giving them precisely what they want. And my power is not giving them that. That is how I take care of myself. It is how I think I slowly remove some of the incentives for coming after me.

So I'm giving them what they want when I respond in a way that might feel viscerally comforting to me and the community, but I'm giving them precisely what they want. And my power is not giving them that. That is how I take care of myself. It is how I think I slowly remove some of the incentives for coming after me.

And again, I think it allows me to reinforce that they're the ones that are obsessed with trans people. We're just trying to live our lives. And I do think that we have to reorient the narrative around trans people to sort of a libertarian perspective of we're just trying to live our lives. Why are you consistently coming after us when we're just trying to live our lives?

And again, I think it allows me to reinforce that they're the ones that are obsessed with trans people. We're just trying to live our lives. And I do think that we have to reorient the narrative around trans people to sort of a libertarian perspective of we're just trying to live our lives. Why are you consistently coming after us when we're just trying to live our lives?

When we're doctors and teachers and law enforcement and soldiers and we're just trying to live the best life we can to live our lives in a way that's authentic to ourselves and be contributing productive members of society and you keep coming after us. And I think that I can kind of model that in that way while not giving up the fact that my trans constituents need a defender.

When we're doctors and teachers and law enforcement and soldiers and we're just trying to live the best life we can to live our lives in a way that's authentic to ourselves and be contributing productive members of society and you keep coming after us. And I think that I can kind of model that in that way while not giving up the fact that my trans constituents need a defender.

Now, I also can't be the only defender of trans people, and my colleagues have been amazing, right? Like my colleagues, both privately and publicly, have been amazing.

Now, I also can't be the only defender of trans people, and my colleagues have been amazing, right? Like my colleagues, both privately and publicly, have been amazing.