Danica Roem, a transgender Democrat who defeated an anti-LGBT incumbent, explained how President Donald Trump's election showed she had little to fear about her own background while running for office.
The 33-year-old former journalist and first openly transgender candidate to be seated in a state legislature was appalled -- but oddly inspired -- by Trump's boasts about sexually assaulting women, reported NBC News.
"All Donald Trump's election showed me was that there's literally nothing in my background that disqualifies me from running," Roem said. "Because after the absolute horrible things he bragged about doing -- when you brag about sexually assaulting women and then you get elected, anyway, there's no barrier for entry anymore.
A recording of Trump, then a reality TV star, boasting in 2005 that he got away with grabbing women's genitals sparked widespread condemnation weeks ahead of last year's election, which he won anyway.
"So I said, there's nothing in my background even close to that -- so yeah, go run," Roem said. "What are they going to hit me on, my gender? Okay, they did."
Despite those anti-LGBT attacks, Roem defeated the author of her state's anti-trans bathroom bill.
"Instead of singling you out and trying to make you feel bad about yourself, I think it's time in politics that we get past the politics of trying to make people feel bad about themselves and just, like, do your job," she said.
"When you brag about sexually assaulting women and then you get elected anyway, there's no barrier for entry anymore."
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 24, 2017
Danica Roem speaks out against Trump after becoming the first openly transgender woman elected to office. pic.twitter.com/bX2CRRLOti
