As attacks on trans Americans intensify, Sarah McBride’s story reaches theaters nationwide

Days after drawing a standing ovation at the Equality PAC National Pride Gala in Washington, Delaware’s sole congresswoman, Sarah McBride, is preparing for another milestone. Friday is the nationwide theatrical release of the documentary State of Firsts, which captured her historic campaign to become the first out transgender member of Congress."I hope that people come away believing that there is still a space for grace in our politics," McBride told The Advocate in an interview.The film arrives at a moment when McBride has become one of the most visible figures in America's battles over transgender rights — a reality that neither she nor the filmmakers could fully have anticipated when production began.State of Firsts chronicles her rise to Congress and the difficult choices that came with becoming a political first. As the film opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, the message lands in a political environment that feels increasingly hostile to both grace and compromise.Related: Sarah McBride gets last laugh after Nancy Mace’s devastating election loss: ‘Happy Pride, Nancy’ Congresswoman Sarah McBride made history in January 2025, when she became the first out transgender person sworn in as a member of Congress.Melissa LangerThe documentary, directed by Chase Joynt, follows McBride through her groundbreaking congressional campaign and concludes just as she arrives in Washington. It ends before many of the battles that would come to define her first months in office, including Republican efforts to target the transgender lawmaker and the broader escalation of anti-trans politics nationally.Just three days before the film's release, McBride stood before hundreds of LGBTQ+ leaders, Democratic lawmakers, activists, and donors at the Equality PAC National Pride Gala and reflected on the political downfall of one of her most vocal antagonists and self-described "proud transphobe," South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace. The crowd erupted as McBride noted