Democratic U.S. Rep. Becca Balint shattered historical barriers with her 2022 election, marking the first time Vermont sent a woman and out LGBTQ+ person to Congress.
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Through her tenure in Vermont’s legislature and notably as the state Senate’s president pro tempore, Balint, 55, crafted a legacy underscored by her commitment to progressive values — from staunch advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights to proactive stances on climate change and housing affordability. Her election to the U.S. House in 2022 not only shattered historical barriers, marking the first time Vermont sent a woman and out LGBTQ+ person to Congress, but also underscored the evolving dynamics of American political representation.
Balint’s journey in Congress is more than a story of legislative battles; it’s a testament to the mental warfare that LGBTQ+ members endure daily.
“I think people don’t understand the emotional and psychological toll it takes on us as openly gay members of Congress that we are in those committee hearings when people are saying horrible things about us,” she says.
She says this onslaught is not just an attack on a community but also a dangerous precedent for democracy itself.
She details a troubling experience that underscores the challenges faced by members of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “I’ll just tell you about a moment that was very difficult for me. A couple of other members of the Equality Caucus were watching people that we are friendly with, who I would consider good colleagues, vote against our being on the floor. And then we’re just supposed to carry on as if that didn’t happen. And that’s really hard. That’s really, really hard,” she recounts.
Balint’s commitment to fighting these forces is driven by a belief rooted in her constituents’ desires for unity and trust within their communities.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“I don’t want to hate my neighbors. I don’t want not to trust my neighbors. This isn’t good for the democracy. It’s not good for our communities,” she says constituents told her. She says she seeks to hold those who support anti-LGBTQ+ measures accountable and empower people striving for positive change.
Her strategy to combat anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is both a call to arms and a gentle reminder of Americans’ shared humanity.
“We have to get better at calling out the enablers,” she insists. But Balint’s approach is not one of mere confrontation. It’s about amplifying the voices of those working to bridge divides and foster allies while fiercely protecting one’s community and well-being.
Balint sees rays of hope in coalition-building and raising awareness. She emphasizes the significance of bringing transgender Americans into committee hearings and private discussions with Congress members, not as political pawns but as individuals with stories that transcend partisan lines.
“It’s something that we have tried to take on in earnest in this Congress with bringing in more transgender Americans to talk in committee hearings, to talk to us as members of Congress privately and their parents,” Balint says.
This strategy is not just about promoting trans rights but about illustrating how these attacks are indicative of broader assaults on personal freedoms, including parental rights and reproductive rights, she says.
The Equality Act is at the forefront of her agenda, as it would provide not just a legal safeguard for LGBTQ+ rights but a moral compass guiding America toward its ideals of liberty and justice for all. “Nobody in this country, whether it’s reproductive rights or gender-affirming [care], should have to worry about what zip code they are living in or born into,” she says.
Balint and other congressional leaders have also championed more inclusive and intersectional education by reintroducing the LGBTQI+ and Women’s History Education Act of 2023, which seeks to counteract the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ education laws across various states by empowering the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History to develop educational resources that celebrate the contributions and histories of LGBTQ+ people and women.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
As both a parent and former educator, Balint emphasizes the critical role of comprehensive education in fostering community health and democratic vitality. She’s called out the current tide of curriculum restrictions and book bans that seek to erase significant figures and narratives from history, instead advocating for an education system that acknowledges and honors diversity.
Last October, Balint took a bold stance on the House floor, initiating a vote on a resolution to censure Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her history of anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, racist, and otherwise bigoted remarks as well as her promotion of conspiracy theories.
Balint’s optimism about the potential for change is palpable, especially with the prospect of electing the first trans woman to Congress, Sarah McBride, a Democratic state senator from Delaware who is running for the U.S. House, whom she ardently supports.
“The conversations will change in Congress when she is on the floor of the House speaking and demystifying and humanizing her experience,” Balint says. However, she also acknowledges the formidable challenges in a political landscape that exploits fear of the unknown. “It is human nature, I think, to fear what you don’t understand,” she says.
“And unfortunately, we have a GOP machine right now that is taking full advantage of that, and it’s killing us. It’s killing our spirit. It’s killing the democracy.”
But what sets Balint apart is not just her political acumen or her unwavering advocacy for the LGBTQ community; it’s her humanity. Her story is one of hope, not despair, of laughter and office dance parties amid the seriousness of her mission.
“We have five-minute dance parties here in the office,” she shares.
Balint’s optimism is infectious. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, there are reasons to smile, dance, and keep fighting for a better tomorrow.
“The stakes are too high for us to lose hope,” she says.
