Babs Casbar, first-ever transgender person at DNC, may rise to help lead it tomorrow

[JackBeck]

Until 2 years ago, the DNC had never had a member - there are more than 400 across the country - who is a transgender person. In 2009, Babs Casbar Siperstein (yes, Siperstein like the paint company) from Edison, New Jersey & a member of the Blue Jersey community, became the first. Tomorrow, if she wins a party election at the DNC Fall Meeting in Chicago, she will become the first out transgender person ever on the DNC's Executive Committee.

Babs, who has been a Democratic contributor for about 10 years, didn't always feel as accepted in Party circles as she's beginning to now. About the national Dems of past years, she says:

All they knew about 'trans' was baby drag queens. They didn't know. So they needed to be educated. It's 100% better now. Rather than confront or turn people off I tried to engage in a positive way.

Which isn't to say she isn't direct. In 2004, she was a DNC delegate from New Jersey, and new to the national meetings. There was already a GLBT caucus, but in reality, she says, "all you ever heard in speeches was 'gay' and 'lesbian'. Transgenders weren't mentioned. Our issues weren't mentioned." It wasn't any better in caucus. At one point she came to GLBT caucus meetings with a big sign. Whenever "gay and lesbian" was mentioned, Babs would stand up and hold up a big piece of paper marked: T.

http://www.bluejersey.com/diary/19374/babs-casbar-firstever-transgender-person-at-dnc-may-rise-to-help-lead-it-tomorrow