Sarah McBride: I work primarily on advocating for LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination laws at the local, state, and federal level. In that capacity, I do a mix of research and writing, personal advocacy, and I seek to amplify the stories of LGBTQ people across the country who have faced discrimination in their own lives. I decided to work professionally in LGBTQ advocacy because of my own positive experience coming out. I was privileged to have a supportive family, accepting college, and continued opportunities, but those things should not be a privilege. It shouldn't be a privilege to keep your family, it shouldn't be a privilege to equally participate in public life.

TV: What was your initial reaction to hearing about House Bill 2? How do you think being deprived of basic bathroom rights affects the transgender community and what is the best way to fight back?

SM: HB 2 is legislative bullying, plain and simple. Charlotte had passed a basic, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination law, following in the footsteps of roughly 200 cities and almost 20 states. Conservatives in the legislature and Governor McCrory saw this as an opportunity to demonize and target a vulnerable group of people merely for political gain. They are doing it with demonstrably false claims that stoke unfounded fears around protecting transgender people in bathrooms. HB 2 is the worst kind of bigotry and is hurting real people.

TV: Take me back to the moment you decided to take this amazing selfie. What gave you the idea?

SM: I had just used the restroom, I was alone, and yet still technically barred from being there, and I snapped a quick picture to document the moment. I decided to post it because I wanted to demonstrate that this is a real issue impacting real people. Everyone needs to be able to use the restroom. If you can't, it becomes much harder to go to work, school, or fully participate in the public marketplace. I wanted to get past the rhetoric and I thought a visual might help do that. I also want people to know that this isn't about how I or any trans person looks, this is about who we are. This isn't about our appearance, this is about our humanity.

TV: You were traveling to North Carolina for work at the time. What did you learn from the conversations you had there? Do you think there's a chance House Bill 2 will be repealed?