Marie Newman with her daughter, Evie. © Courtesy Marie Newman for Congress

Marie Newman (she/her), a lifelong progressive activist, is a former US Representative whose office in the Longworth House Office Building was located right across from right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. After Greene insulted Newman’s transgender daughter, Newman flew the transgender pride flag outside of her own office. But advocating for transgender people is just one of many progressive positions Newman has agitated for over the course of her life. She has been a woman’s rights, gun reform, healthcare and income equity champion her entire life. Her prescriptive memoir, A Life Made From Scratch, is due to be released on March 18. Read on to learn more about the tremendous work of Marie Newman!

Where are you based?
Western Suburbs of Chicago

What inspired you to get into activism, writing, and politics?
I think activism was just something I was born with in my DNA. As early as high school I was volunteering and building services for homeless immigrants. In college, I volunteered regularly in civil rights, racial equity and women’s rights spaces. For the last thirty years, I’ve fought for income and healthcare equity as well as immigrants and gun reform. I think this deep need to address injustice and stop bullies has simply grown over time. I hate bullies and will not tolerate gaslighting and intimidation. For most of my career these issues were volunteer jobs, but when Trump won in 2016, I knew I was ready to jump in professionally to politics and fight. So I did and still am. I ran for congress and fought for all of those issues. After leaving Congress, I still address those issues by consulting in social impact spaces, volunteering and writing my book, as well as my planning guide series (a group of six planning guides helping folks address building social movements, political campaigns, mental health, life pivots, small business, women’s issues and transgender issues).

What inspired you to run for Congress? How did you receive your endorsement from Justice Democrats?
In 2016, I realized I had been volunteering for campaigns for 20 years and it was time for me to run. I saw the gross injustice of the Trump policies and my own congressperson who was not far away from those very policies. I could not sit by. I had to fight. As for Justice Democrats, I think we simply found each other. Both parties had mutual interest: Income inequity and out of touch politicians were ruining the country — we came together like two magnets in one space.

You served in the US House Of Representatives from 2021-3. What are you most proud of during your time in office?
As the 117th congress, we passed more legislation than any congress in 75 years. I was lucky to have an amazing staff and together we passed six bills into law as a freshman. Probably, my most notable legislative accomplishment was the ASAP act. This law required and funded all the transportation agencies, stations and vehicles to finally become ADA compliant, so folks with disabilities will be free to access all public transportation. As a congress, I am most proud of passing legislation that helped end the pandemic and got support to those who needed it.

You have a new book coming out next month, A Life Made From Scratch. Can you give us some spoilers? What do you hope your readers get from this book?
At a base level, I want everyone to understand we are all capable of hard things and when you do not see the solutions you need in the world, build them from scratch. We are all capable of making great social and personal change by building social movements, pivoting or transitioning into new life vocations and jobs or building businesses. We have all had life fires and the best way to meet those moments, is to realize you must build your own solution. In my book I share stories about campaigning, inside baseball in congress, some of the injustice in our political systems, the challenges of mental health in one’s family, supporting a transgender child and dealing with misogyny and imposter syndrome as a woman. I add some spice and some giggles throughout :)

In A Life Made From Scratch you call yourself a “controversial Congresswoman.” What does this mean to you?
I stirred the pot. A lot! I was the first to talk about my transgender child on the house floor openly. I was one of a few who railed against corporate PAC money and lobbyists. I was vocal on supporting Palestine and ending the occupation as it would be the right thing to do for Palestinians and Israelis. I supported Medicare for All. These are all not popular with centrist and moderate members of Congress as well as the establishment. In turn, this created a dynamic of controversy within the party and across party lines.

One of your hot issues is bullying. You even wrote a book about it, When Your Child Is Being Bullied - Real Solutions. Can you tell us a bit about this book?
The book shares lived experiences of my son and our family. My son was severely bullied and at that time (roughly 15 years ago), there simply was not a manual to help parents and schools end bullying. So a friend and I worked with the community to help solve issues there and proceeded to write a book about it. I also started a national nonprofit called Team Up To Stop Bullying (now defunct) to help families across the nation.

What do you feel is the most important action to help a child being bullied?
Hear them, believe them and support them. Never ignore bullies. They don't go away. It is complex with lots of different solutions needed at once, but do not ignore bullying and let bullies know they have crossed a line and you will be addressing it. You must call it out and let both bullies and bystanders know it is not acceptable. Bystanders must speak out as well.

With the new regime change coming there is a lot of fear of increased bullying, especially towards transgender and LGBTQ kids. What advice do you have for those who are very scared going into the new year with this in mind?
First, let me honor LGBTQ children and adults, by acknowledging these are very scary times and validate that awful fear. Secondly, I believe the best thing we can do is continue to speak out loudly and stay united. Continue to be loud in all spaces. Let your state and federal legislator know at all times, you have rights and will not be quiet. It is particularly important to bombard your republican state and federal leaders with your stories. It is un-American to be anti-LGBTQ. It goes against all we believe in. Finally, make sure you are safe in groups and reach out to safe organizations for help. My planning guide on my website, Supporting Your Transgender Child is available on Amazon. Similarly, The Human Rights Campaign has wonderful resources for all LGBTQ folks.

A lot of activists are saying that the left needs to take as much time as it needs to rest and reset after the win of Trump in November. Do you agree? How should progressives be handling the next four years?
For me and my work, I have rested, I’m ready and I am back at it with vigor. My personal recommendation? Each American should start complaining about prices, healthcare, housing and how they hate government controlling them. This is what Trumpers did for four years rinse, wash repeat. Don’t mention Trump or Trump voters. This administration must own the recession that is coming and the degradation of the American dream. Do what trump voters did — complain to anyone who will listen about the issues. Complain in all spaces and talk to folks who you do not typically talk to on an every day basis. You will see we all want to improve our quality of life and agree on issues of prices, healthcare, the evils of oligarchs. Also, support working families candidates, not corporatists. Finally, tell conservative Dems - “your way did not work, get out of the way and let independent thinkers who understand everyday life, run the show."

It has been a crazy past few years, how do you stay positive?
I just believe inherently people are good, and change is possible, even on the darkest of days. I have had the very darkest of times and fought back. Change is possible.

What is your motto in life?
“When you do not see the solutions you need in the world, Make It From Scratch"

Where can we find out more about you?
My website, Substack, BlueSky, Insta, Threads, Facebook, and Podcast.