The full interview between Andres-Beck and Trans News Network contributor Tom Sayers is available below, with edits made for length and clarity.
TNN: How is the first week of the campaign going?
BAB: It’s been really great and to see what things are landing with people. I had guessed that a trans person running against someone who got national prominence for making transphobic remarks would be a story.
TNN: Was that your intention when you announced your campaign?
BAB: There’s just not that many non-binary public figures, especially not folks who have been out for 20 years—I’m sure that 50 years from now there will be a lot more publicly non-binary figures. One of the things I’ve appreciated, especially living in a sort-of small town, is being able to be out and be public about [being non-binary] which stops it being just something people talk about on the internet or that Fox News can make a monster-under-the-bed story about; because people actually know me.
TNN: Was there a particular moment that you decided to run?
BAB: It was a process of exploration. I wanted to take a leave of absence before next year’s election and work to help defeat Seth Moulton and I started looking around for what that looks like. I was just so frustrated with the way he’s undermining the Democratic party, in addition to the trans comments, voting to praise ICE and against impeaching Trump. So I wanted to do something about that; I talked to friends, family, people who I would ask to support me. I got really positive responses.
The next question: Well who can I get to work for me? The first person I asked said Absolutely, sign me up. I will be your campaign manager…’
Ultimately, what it came down to is: I’m not a conventional candidate. If this was a normal election in a normal time—say he was moving on to some other office or it was gonna be an open primary—I don’t think I would be the candidate but because this isn’t that election, there is a really strong story about how we have possibilities and capabilities we haven’t even imagined yet.
TNN: What kind of politician do you want to be?
