Danica Roem Is the First Openly Transgender Person Elected to a U.S. Statehouse & a Heavy Metal Bad-Ass

What a difference a year makes. Almost 365 days to the moment when Donald Trump became the leader of an administration that has begun rolling back legal protections and rights for women and the LGBTQ community, voters in Virginia sent a loud and proud message that they are not on board with that agenda. Tuesday’s (Nov. 7) election not only swept two new Democratic governors into office in key elections in New Jersey and Virginia, they also marked the election of Danica Roem into office as the first openly transgender person elected to a U.S. statehouse seat.

Roem defeated Bob Marshall, the 13-term, socially conservative former Virginia House of Delegates member — and self-described “chief homophobe” — who wrote the state’s failed anti-trans bathroom bill and her win is a huge deal for one other reason: the former journalist is a longtime lead singer of a thrash metal band named Cab Ride Home. She is believed to be the first member of a thrash metal band elected to a such a prominent governing body.

Related

Miley Cyrus, Jack Antonoff, Billie Joe Armstrong & Other Celebs Celebrate Democrat Electoral…

11/08/2017

Cab Ride Home released their debut album, Crash the Gate, earlier this year, more than a decade after Roem, 33, helped found the group that describes itself as a “drunken thrash metal” band whose “songs are about drinking” and whose shows are “about raging.”

 

Last night, Danica Roem made history as the first openly transgender person to be elected to state legislature in the country. She will be representing Virginia’s 13th district, unseating 25-year Republican incumbent Bob Marshall, who was one of the most anti LGBTQ Virginia lawmakers. @broadly was with Danica in the final 48 hours leading up to election. Catch the exclusive look at this historic campaign and victory this Friday, and tap our IG Stories for more. #danicaroem –: @ematson09 @dianatourjee

A post shared by VICE (@vice) on Nov 8, 2017 at 5:49am PST

“Just because I sing in a heavy metal band while spinning my head in circles and getting paid to do it, why can’t I run for government?” Roem told Noisey in an interview in June. “Why would I have to change who I am in order to run for government? I’ve already had to go through transformative change.”

 

Yuge and bigly congrats to Danica Roem for making history, and making changes! You rock! ——–

A post shared by The Found (@thefound) on Nov 8, 2017 at 9:39am PST

 

Congrats to Danica Roem for being not only the first openly transgender legislator, but for also being the first openly metalhead to be voted as a state official, as she’s the singer for the band Cab Ride Home. Way to over come the odds. #makeamericametalagain #danicaroem #historic #metal #virginia #cabridehome #drunkenthrashmetal #transgender

A post shared by Javier Castillo (@ollitsacreivaj) on Nov 8, 2017 at 9:34am PST

Marshall introduced a bill (the Physical Privacy Act) earlier this year that would require Virginians to use the restrooms corresponding to their gender at birth and made his bias clear throughout the election cycle by purposely using male pronouns when referring to Democrat Roem, who got the best, last word on her opponent following Tuesday’s results.

When asked about Bob Marshall, Danica Roem said “I don’t attack my constituents. Bob is my constituent now.”

She has more grace and composure than I will ever have. #virginia #DanicaRoem

— Nicholas Trevino (@BlyTarbell) November 8, 2017