Danica Roem Sworn In As Virginia's First Transgender Lawmaker

RICHMOND, VA — With appropriate pomp and unusual circumstance, Danica Roem of Manassas was sworn in Wednesday as Virginia's first openly transgender lawmaker. She replaced former Del. Robert G. Marshall (R), a 26-year fixture in the House of Delegates before losing to Roem in the race for Prince William County's 13th District seat.

Sitting in the balcony of the General Assembly in the Virginia State Capital were her mother and other family members. Roem told the Washington Post she had planned to wear the rainbow head scarf she frequently wore on the campaign trail but in the name of decorum decided against it. Instead, she held it in her left hand while holding up her right hand to recite the oath to uphold the U.S. and Virginia constitutions.

"My presence here," she said, "is exclamation point enough." Campaign topics between Roem and Marshall were focused on traffic and other local issues in Prince William County. But the race also contrasted Roem's gender transition with the social conservative who called himself Virginia's "chief homophobe" when he introduced a bill banning transgender bathroom use last year.

Although five other transgender candidates throughout the nation won races in November, Roem is thought to be the first state lawmaker in the nation to be sworn in after campaigning as an openly transgender candidate.

She was greeted by well-wishers and TV crews seemingly wherever she went, and according to the Post was told the following by Del. John Bell (D-Loudoun): "Enjoy these moments. They’re special. Every time I'm in the chamber, I look at this ornate space and go: 'I'm actually in this place. Oh, my God.' "

A former reporter in Prince William County, Roem made the increasing traffic jams on Route 28 through the region a regular talking point in her campaign. She said she plans to use her tools as a journalist in Richmond as she dives into local government, and already is the chief sponsor of 10 bills.

One nuts and bolts issue she ran on was aging infrastructure, such as the need to replace out-of-date cast iron pipes to prevent water main breaks. "I know water infrastructure is boring. I get it," Roem wrote on her Facebook page. "As one mayor ruefully told me, 'It's not sexy.' But it's extremely, extremely important."

In a September profile, Roem told Cosmopolitan.com that her candidacy gave others hope. "The message that I can succeed because of my gender, not despite it, because of who I am without being afraid of who I am is a human message," she said.

"It's something that even if you are cisgender, but you have some reason that you've been singled out in your life, you have some reason that you've been stigmatized in your life, you've had some reason when you've been cornered in your life for being yourself, you can look at me and say, 'If she can do this, so can I.'"

Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, second from left, the first transgender Delegate takes her oath of office along with Del. David Reid, D-Loudon, left, and Del. Cheryl Turpin, D-Virginia Beach, third from left, during opening ceremonies of the 2018 session of the Virginia House of Delegates at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)