VT’s first LGBTQ Congressional representative Becca Balint is staying true to her calling

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, 56, of Brattleboro has always known her calling: to serve the public as an elected official.

“I always joke that I was my first-grade class president, my eighth-grade class president, my 12th-grade class president, student body president,” Balint said. “I always loved thinking about how to solve problems and make life better. Certainly, in a school setting, you’re dealing with much smaller issues, but I always knew that politics was what I wanted my path to be.”

But as a gay woman who came of age in the mid-1980s – an era where few women wielded political power and before many legal protections for LGBTQ people – Balint initially believed her dream of becoming a politician would be impossible.

“I didn’t imagine that would ever happen in my lifetime,” she said about someone like her building a successful political career.

At the time, the only gay politician she had ever heard about was San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk – and he had been assassinated less than a year into his first term.

“Representation matters,” Balint said. “If you can’t imagine yourself and you can’t see yourself in somebody else who has done it, it’s really challenging to make that leap.”

Balint finally made that leap after many years teaching government and politics in rural Vermont public schools, motivated by the pervasive poverty many of her students and their families faced.

Balint’s wife, Elizabeth Wohl, helped her pull the trigger: “There’s never going to be a good time for you to do this. And I don’t want you to look back on your life and feel like you didn’t do the thing you were called to do.”

Despite entering politics “late” compared to many politicians, Balint went on to serve in the Vermont Senate for almost a decade, eventually becoming the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to serve as president pro tempore. In 2022, she broke the same barriers when she was elected to represent Vermont in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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While Balint still encounters backlash for her identity – even friends and fervent allies advised against putting Balint’s wife in her political ads during her Congressional campaign – she is encouraged by how far society has come.

“I couldn’t have imagined that I could legally marry my spouse or that I would have this opportunity” to serve in political office, Balint said. “And so that is something that gives me hope when we are experiencing a backlash, that we have made so many gains. We have to make sure that we don’t lose those gains.”

Who paved the way for you?

• Gov. Madeline Kunin, the only woman to have served as governor of Vermont

• Gov. Ann Richards, the second woman to serve as governor of Texas

• Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to serve in Congress as well as seek a major party nomination for president

• Sen. Barbara Jordan, the first black person to serve in the Texas Senate post-Reconstruction

What is your proudest moment? Do you have a lowest?

My proudest moment was being elected as the very first woman to represent Vermont in the House of Representatives. As a kid interested in politics, I never imagined I could actually make it to the halls of Congress. It still takes my breath away when I look at the Capitol Dome.

My lowest moment is tough to pinpoint. I have struggled with anxiety and depression my entire life, so I go through cycles of lows. But I’d say one of my lowest times was when I knew I wanted to leave teaching but didn’t know what was next for me. I felt quite directionless for a few years and really struggled with depression.

What is your definition of courage?

Courage offers no guarantees except that when you are brave you are being true to yourself. It’s about not knowing what will happen and taking action anyway.

Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself?

I have two. One is: “Change is possible. Just get started.”

The other is “Just like me.” Whenever someone is frustrating me or angering me, I say, “Just like me, that person is doing the best they can. Just like me that person has someone who loves them. Just like me, they are both gifted and flawed.”

Who did or do you look up to?

• Actress and comedian Bette Midler, “for pushing the edge of performance”

• Artist and musician Laurie Anderson, “who inspired me to take risks”

• Actress Kristin Chenowith, an example of “people who move people”

How have you and how do you overcome adversity?

When I am facing adversity or a rough patch, I remind myself that I have survived other harder things. Whether it’s the really hard labor I had when my son was born, or the very rough stretch of depression I had in my teens and 20s, I can reflect on my strength and perseverance. I am also someone who seeks out opportunities for joy, laughter and connection. I do this work in politics because I love people, so making connections always brings me hope and inspiration.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to let go of my perfectionism. I think as a young gay teen who was afraid of losing the love of my family and friends, I tried to keep those demons at bay by trying to do perfect work in school and being an overachiever. I wish I’d known that striving for excellence is healthy but striving for perfection is toxic. My perfectionism wasn’t going to control anyone’s reaction to my sexual orientation.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: USA Today’s Women of the Year: Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint