LGBT advocates celebrate historic victory of transgender candidate in Virginia

LGBT supporters are celebrating the victory of Danica Roem, who becomes the first openly transgender state legislator in the United States after her victory Tuesday in Virginia.

"No matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship, who you love, how you identify, or any other inherent identifier that you have, you should be celebrated because of who you are, not despite it," Roem said on MSNBC after the victory.

Roem's supporters also saw ironic symmetry in the victory because the election was against Republican Bob Marshall, who was the sponsor of a bill that would have placed restrictions on transgender bathroom use.

Marshall was a 13-term incumbent and a staunch social conservative who famously refused to call Roem by her "preferred pronoun," and once declared himself as Virginia's "chief homophobe."

Many of her supporters celebrated the LGBT victory on social media:

Roem is a part of what was considered a rout for Democrats against President Trump and Republicans candidates in Virginia, with a large margin of victory for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, and Democrats making enormous gains in the statehouse elections.

Roem is also known for being in a metal music band.