Senator Mallory McMorrow was putting her daughter to bed when she missed a call from US President Joe Biden wanting to congratulate her on the powerful speech she’d given in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Michigan State Senator was later able to take the call from Biden, who told her that “you said what needed to be said.”
What she said was an epic takedown of a Republican opponent that turned into a powerful call to action on the moral obligation lawmakers have to support and protect all children, including gay and trans children and their families.
Delivered in April and viewed millions of times, the speech has seen McMorrow since named a “Democratic hero” and elevated to national and international attention. It’s been a huge jump given she was only elected in 2018, and also given she only decided to run for office on the day after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.
McMorrow wrote the speech after another Senator, Senator Lana Theis, accused her of “grooming” and sexualising children in a fundraising email. It was a low bar attempt at discrediting McMorrow for the stance she was taking in supporting the LGBTQ community in her area.
The Senator who made the unfounded accusation has so far not issued an apology, nor provided any evidence at all for making such a remark.
“I sat on it for a while wondering why me?” McMorrow said on the “grooming” accusation that had been levelled at her.
“Then I realized… I’m the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme. Because you can’t claim that you’re targeting marginalized kids in the name of “parental rights” if another parent is standing up and saying no.”
“So you dehumanize and marginalize ME. You say I’m one of THEM. You say she’s a groomer, she supports pedophilia, she wants children to believe they were responsible for slavery and to feel bad about themselves because they’re white.”
McMorrow went on to share her background, noting that she’s a “straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom”. She said she grew up going to church, and that her mother was one day pulled aside by the church leaders who said she was not living up to the “church’s expectations” given she was being divorced and not attending every Sunday service.
“Where was my mom on Sunday? She was at a soup kitchen. With me,” McMorrow said.
“I learned that SERVICE was far more important than performative nonsense like being seen in the same pew every Sunday or writing “Christian” in your Twitter bio and using it as a shield to target and marginalize already-marginalized people.”
McMorrow declared that she wants every child to feel seen, heard and supported, and that no child should feel marginalised or targeted if they are not “straight, white, and Christian.”
“I know that hate will only win if people like me stand by and let it happen. And I want to be very clear right now: Call me whatever you want. I know who I am. I know what faith and service mean, and what it calls for in this moment. We will not let hate win.”
McMorrow’s speech was calm. She shared personal stories. She spoke about her mother. She outlined the hard facts. And, most importantly, she was clear on her convictions — including how they were formed and why.
Political strategists are taking note of the speech which continues to go viral. It’s been described as an “enormously effective piece of communication” with no way for an opponent to issue a “comeback”. It’s the type of speech that should be shown to others as an instructional video on how to deliver a powerful message.
Following the speech, McMorrow told media she hopes that “other white women like me, who are doing okay, put an end to this because it won’t [end] unless we do it.”
She said taking aiming at trans kids is a weapon being used by Republications as a distraction technique, to make up for shortfalls in their own policies platforms.
Describing some of the acts of Republicans as inexcusable, she urged other Democrats to “call it out for what it is”.
Senator McMorrow has certainly delivered the masterclass on how to do just that.
Watch the speech below.