This 25-Year-Old Transgender Woman Is Responsible for That Viral Bathroom Selfie

During a work trip to North Carolina, Sarah McBride found herself in what ought to have been a relatively mundane predicament: she had to pee. Except, Sarah is a transgender woman, and North Carolina recently passed the most sweeping anti-transgender bill in history, thus making it illegal for Sarah to use the women's restroom. She decided to go anyway.

Once in the bathroom, Sarah found herself alone, but she documented her presence in the restricted space. She posted her selfie to Instagram as a means of taking the abstraction out of the so-called "bathroom law" (formally known as House Bill 2), giving it a face and a human element even the most bigoted supporters may find hard to deny.

You may recognize Sarah's face, if not from her photo going viral this weekend, from her role in Andrew Cray's story — a transgender health activist, whom she married days before he died of cancer — or as the first out transgender woman to ever go to the White House. To be clear, this selfie isn't a fluke. It's a powerful political move, which is starting conversations as part of Sarah's ongoing work as an advocate in her personal life and as the communications manager for LGBT Progress.

We can only hope her platform will continue to grow from here, and as a start, Teen Vogue caught up with Sarah to discuss that already-iconic selfie-taking moment, tips for young people hoping to get more involved, and her plans for a future of making change.

Teen Vogue: You work as a communications manager for LGBT Progress. What is that job like? What made you decide to work professionally as an advocate?

Sarah McBride: I work primarily on advocating for LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination laws at the local, state, and federal level. In that capacity, I do a mix of research and writing, personal advocacy, and I seek to amplify the stories of LGBTQ people across the country who have faced discrimination in their own lives. I decided to work professionally in LGBTQ advocacy because of my own positive experience coming out. I was privileged to have a supportive family, accepting college, and continued opportunities, but those things should not be a privilege. It shouldn't be a privilege to keep your family, it shouldn't be a privilege to equally participate in public life.

TV: What was your initial reaction to hearing about House Bill 2? How do you think being deprived of basic bathroom rights affects the transgender community and what is the best way to fight back?

SM: HB 2 is legislative bullying, plain and simple. Charlotte had passed a basic, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination law, following in the footsteps of roughly 200 cities and almost 20 states. Conservatives in the legislature and Governor McCrory saw this as an opportunity to demonize and target a vulnerable group of people merely for political gain. They are doing it with demonstrably false claims that stoke unfounded fears around protecting transgender people in bathrooms. HB 2 is the worst kind of bigotry and is hurting real people.

TV: Take me back to the moment you decided to take this amazing selfie. What gave you the idea?

SM: I had just used the restroom, I was alone, and yet still technically barred from being there, and I snapped a quick picture to document the moment. I decided to post it because I wanted to demonstrate that this is a real issue impacting real people. Everyone needs to be able to use the restroom. If you can't, it becomes much harder to go to work, school, or fully participate in the public marketplace. I wanted to get past the rhetoric and I thought a visual might help do that. I also want people to know that this isn't about how I or any trans person looks, this is about who we are. This isn't about our appearance, this is about our humanity.

TV: You were traveling to North Carolina for work at the time. What did you learn from the conversations you had there? Do you think there's a chance House Bill 2 will be repealed?

SM: I saw how hurt real people are by their state government so clearly targeting them. I heard stories of people whose lives were severely impacted by the fact that they could not access restrooms in accordance with their gender identity, before and after HB 2 passed. I hope the bill is repealed, but this is an entrenched legislature. So far half a billion dollars of lost or at-risk economic activity hasn't moved them. If they don't repeal it, I hope the voters remember the elected officials who made this mess.

I also want to underscore that I have the privilege of flying back to a city and state where I'm protected from discrimination and not barred from restrooms, but for transgender North Carolinians, this is their reality every day, disproportionately so for trans people of color, trans people with disabilities, young trans people, and gender nonconforming people.

__ TV: Politics and social acceptance (or maybe a lack thereof) are definitely mingled in the ongoing story around the "bathroom law." How do you think those two factors have to combine in order to see progress?__

SM: I think both social change and political action have to happen simultaneously. Neither can happen alone or separate from the other. As more and more Americans know transgender people in their own lives, the scare tactics used to pass HB 2 will become less and less effective. We know that the vast majority of Americans oppose discrimination against transgender people, but we still need to update our nondiscrimination laws to include LGBTQ people so that no one faces discrimination or harassment when they are going through their day, whether it's in the bathroom, the workplace, or at school.

TV: You've rightfully earned a platform with this selfie. How do you plan to continue using your voice to make change? What do you hope people take away from hearing your story?

SM: I will continue to fight every day to build a world where every person can live their life to the fullest. I'll continue to push for social change and legal progress, for passage of the Equality Act in Congress, and to help lift up the voices and experiences of trans people who have been ignored and marginalized for too long. With each experience that I've had that's drawn attention, from coming out as student body president to passing nondiscrimination protections in Delaware, my hope has been that it's helped at least one person get through the day. I'll continue to do that.

I'd also like to add that I lost my husband, Andy, to cancer just four days after our wedding. Andy was a transgender man and his passing taught me that every day matters in this fight. That every day matters when it comes to allowing people to live complete and authentic lives. So I won't be resting.

TV: Do you have any tips for young people who are hoping to get involved in making change for the LGBTQ community on a political level?

SM: Yes, I would say, never doubt that your own story or voice matters. I've seen firsthand that one voice can change the course of laws and policies. Not only does every person matter, but so too does every voice. No one should doubt that their voice is the right one to make a difference.

TV: What advice do you have for members of the transgender community who are struggling with things like the "bathroom law" or general bigotry?

SM: I just hope they know that there are tons of people, trans and cisgender, fighting for them. They need to know that they are valued and they are worthy. Right now, too many transgender people are hearing the exact opposite of that far too often.

Related: Why Planned Parenthood Is Offering Transgender Friendly Healthcare