On Nov. 7, Danica Roem became the first ever openly transgender person elected to a state legislature. This is a moment that trans-Americans and others will celebrate, but America is responsible for going further than that. Americans must begin to elect more transgender politicians to create an actual representation for trans-Americans.

Other transgender people have been elected and not seated, like Stacie Laughton. Even more have been elected who have never openly come out as trans. Some have also been elected and then come out as trans like Althea Garrison.

Roem’s election is cause for celebration. Not only for her being elected but for what it does to swing the pendulum against cissexism. For those in America and the rest of the world who are cisgender, this is a moment to reflect and understand that many of our friends and colleagues are trans. Roem being elected could also have a profound impact on the conversation around normativity in general by making us realize how cissexism has been implanted in us since birth. Beyond celebrating, we as a country must start to move beyond just one and get to the point of actual representation.

Actual representation was the idea that to be taxed, Americans must have Americans seated in London as representatives. This doctrine should easily be applied to legislators today. Legislators should not be making legislation about trans people if they are cisgendered people like Delegate Robert Marshall whom Roem unseated. It is unfair and unlawful to pass legislation that limits trans individuals when there is only one openly trans person in the office at all.

Furthermore, we owe it to the trans people who have been living and dying for this to happen since the dawn of our country in 1776. To be true to our ideals of American democracy we must elect more trans people. What is American democracy if it is only for some? It is not democracy at all. We also owe it to the other trans people elected to different positions like Lisa Middleton in California or Tyler Titus in Pennsylvania. Transgender people are real and pretending they are not or they are a fad is disrespectful and dishonest.

America is meant to be a place of great freedom and ideas, and legislator Danica Roem is a historical example of that coming to be. She must not be the last to make that idealism true. Roem is a step in the right direction, but America has a long way to go.

Miles Jordan is a 20-year-old liberal arts sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.