An Illinois school district is facing backlash after it honored a biological male during Women’s History Month — a decision that quickly sparked criticism online and led to the post being deleted.
Batavia Public School District 101 highlighted Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware in a Facebook post Thursday celebrating figures connected to women’s history. McBride, who identifies as a transgender woman, was featured in the post roughly a week after the district spotlighted astronaut Mae Jemison.
The post outlined McBride’s political career and activism but also contained a significant factual error.
“Sarah McBride was born on August 9th, 1990, in Wilmington, Delaware. At a young age, she became interested in politics and government. McBride eventually ran for the state senate and won, making her the first openly transgender person elected to the United States Senate,” the district wrote.
That claim is incorrect. McBride was elected to the Delaware State Senate in 2020, becoming the first openly transgender state senator in the United States. In 2024, McBride was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, not the Senate.
The district’s post continued by highlighting McBride’s activism and national political profile.
“She was also the first transgender person to address a major party convention, speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention,” the post stated. “McBride was instrumental in lobbying the Delaware state legislature in 2013 to pass a law that prohibited discrimination based on gender identity.”
The post also noted McBride’s time working as national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, a major LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“Today, she continues to fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as writing several books!” the district wrote.
School district honors biological male congressman for Women’s History Month https://t.co/5mlm1r3DEk via @BIZPACReview
HOW DISGUSTING! MR MCBRIDE IS NOT A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— Nicole (@Nicole95978491) March 13, 2026
Not long after the post appeared, it was removed from the district’s Facebook page. However, screenshots of the post quickly spread across social media, fueling criticism and debate over the district’s decision to include McBride in Women’s History Month recognition.
McBride has been a controversial figure since winning election to Congress in 2024. Soon after arriving on Capitol Hill, the Delaware Democrat became involved in a dispute over which restrooms should be used in congressional buildings.
The controversy drew national attention as lawmakers and officials debated policies surrounding sex-segregated spaces in government facilities.
The broader issue has also been addressed at the federal level. Shortly after returning to office on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that the federal government would recognize the “biological reality of sex.”
The order defined terms such as male, female, man, woman, boy and girl based on biological sex.
Weeks later, on Feb. 5, 2025, Trump signed another executive order aimed at school athletics. The directive bars federal funding from schools that allow biological males who identify as transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
Meanwhile, debates over transgender issues have continued to ripple through politics nationwide.
Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is challenging Republican Sen. John Cornyn for a U.S. Senate seat, has publicly expressed strong support for transgender youth. During a May 2023 appearance on the “A Superbloom Podcast,” Talarico said he loves transgender children and emphasized the importance of supporting them.
The issue has also expanded into the healthcare sector, where some online pharmacies now sell hormone replacement therapies that can be used in gender transition treatments.
For Batavia Public School District 101, the deleted post has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over gender identity, education policy, and how schools choose to recognize historical figures during events like Women’s History Month.
