Danica Roem makes transgender history with election success in US

Danica Roem makes transgender history with election success in US
By Chris Harris
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The 33-year-old beat a rival who refused to refer to her as 'she'.

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Democrat Danica Roem has made history by becoming the first openly transgender candidate to be elected to a state parliament.

Roem, 33, triumphed in the US state of Virginia.

The former journalist beat incumbent Republican Robert Marshall, who opposed LGBT rights and refused to refer to Roem using the pronoun ‘she’.

Victory Fund, an organisation dedicated to increasing the amount of LGBT public officials, said she will become the first openly transgender person to sit in a US local legislature.

Aisha Moodie-Mills, president of the Victory Fund, said: “Tonight voters chose a smart, solutions-oriented trans leader over a divisive anti-LGBT demagogue – sending a powerful message to anti-trans legislators all across the nation.

Danica defeated Bob Marshall not because she is transgender, but because she presented a positive vision for her constituents that will improve their lives. We are determined to replicate this race nationwide – using constituent-focused LGBTQ candidates to takedown elected officials who use their positions to target our community. Tonight was the opening salvo.

“2017 will be remembered as the year of the trans candidate – and Danica’s heroic run for office the centerpiece of that national movement.”

“Trans elected leaders like Danica are the antidote to the anti-trans efforts we see across the nation, so Victory Fund will continue working tirelessly to elect more of them.”

Thank you all for your support over the years and this last election. For 26 years I’ve been proud to fight for… https://t.co/W4DdA02fP2

— Robert G Marshall (@RobertGMarshall) November 8, 2017

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