Meet Machaela Cavanaugh, the Nebraska Senator Who Filibustered for Three Weeks on Behalf of Trans Rights

What’s kept you from giving up?

There haven’t been any days where I’ve thought about giving up, to be honest. It never crossed my mind that giving up was even an option. Failure isn’t an option because, if I fail, I’m failing children, and I’m not going to fail children. It is my job to show up for them and to protect them and to ensure their health and safety and well-being in this state.

Why do you think we’re not seeing more Democrats speaking out about the war currently being waged on trans people and trans youth in particular?

You know, I would push back on that because I don’t think that this is a partisan issue. I think everyone should be pushing back, should be fighting and standing up against this assault on trans youth. I don’t think that transphobia is a Republican thing. I think that transphobia is a problem that needs to be addressed directly and head-on by people in positions of power. It should not just be Democrats that are pushing back on this. It should be Republicans. This is government overreach. This is taking away parental rights, and no one should be standing for that. This is an assault on the tenets of the GOP, and this is an assault on families across the country, specifically in Nebraska.

That’s a really important point. What kind of reaction have you gotten to your robust defense of trans kids?

For the most part, I have received a very overwhelming amount of positive feedback and support. Every day, there are families or parents of trans children or trans children themselves showing up in the Nebraska Capitol to talk to their senators and talk to me. There have, of course, been people that are not happy about it, and they have expressed their displeasure in some unkind ways at times, but, you know, that’s their right.

Where would you direct people who want to learn more about trans issues?

Well, we have a great organization here in Nebraska called Out Nebraska, and they have been amazing advocates and have shown up to help support the families of trans children. I think that they are a great resource. I also think that the Trevor Project is great; it’s obviously a national organization, but we also have a state affiliate, and, for trans youth who are struggling and looking for some resources to get support and help, I think that that’s a great one to be looking to.