During Progressive Indiana Network’s Portraits and Perspectives event, I sat down with Sarah Shydale, candidate for Indiana State House District 97—an Indianapolis district containing Monument Circle west to about halfway to the airport and down south to Garfield Park on the near west and near south sides. As Sarah noted, we were actually sitting in her district during the interview, and unlike rural districts where candidates drive hours between events, she can reach the western frontier from her home in maybe 10 streets. The population density just works differently in Indianapolis.
When I asked about her inspiration for running, Sarah pointed to several interconnected motivations. She’s been watching what’s happening in the state capitol with growing frustration and wants to bring her lived experience as both a social worker and a transgender woman to the statehouse. Working for the Family Social Services Administration and DCS, she sees firsthand the struggles families face and wants to make a real difference in people’s lives.
We discussed personal struggles, and Sarah shared powerfully about being abused growing up—part of the reason she’s so passionate about social work and wanting kids to have a better life than she did. As a transgender woman, she wants to provide a voice for transgender individuals in her district and across the state, especially in light of terrible legislation like SB 182 circulating through the statehouse. The fact that lawmakers are debating the very existence of transgender people without any transgender legislators in the chamber is, as Sarah put it, insane and unfair. They haven’t done anything to deserve this marginalization, and the bathroom ban is just the start. There’s no non-invasive way to enforce such legislation, and it won’t just affect transgender people—it will affect cisgender people as well, something lawmakers aren’t even thinking about because the entire piece of legislation is built on hate.
I brought up the principle of “nothing about us without us”—how historically marginalized communities from the Black community to the Jewish community have fought to be represented in spaces where decisions about their lives are being made. Having a transgender legislator in the statehouse might give some lawmakers pause when they realize they’re legislating against their colleague.
When I asked about fictional characters, Sarah chose Wonder Woman without hesitation—fitting for someone who sees herself as fighting for justice and representation.
Our conversation turned to interpersonal relationships in the statehouse, and Sarah acknowledged it’s going to be an uphill battle. Some Republican colleagues may not want to listen or engage with her perspective, but she believes in trying to build those relationships where possible while standing firm on her principles and the needs of her constituents.
When I asked about legacy, Sarah’s answer was both humble and profound: she wants the world to show she made a measurable impact and wants people’s lives to be better. Even if her name is partially forgotten in the future—because nothing stands the test of time fully—she just wants to make sure she’s left the world a better place than it was when she got here. She couldn’t be happier if people are living better lives, safer at work, with their kids being educated in a respectful manner. As she put it, it’s the fact that even if you won’t be remembered for it, you still know that you did it. I compared it to planting a fruit tree you’ll never eat from, and she agreed completely.
This wasn’t a conversation about political ambition or career advancement. It was a discussion with someone who has lived through abuse, works daily with struggling families, and faces legislation targeting her very existence—yet still believes in the power of representation and the possibility of making the world better for the next generation. Sarah Shydale is running because transgender voices deserve to be heard in the room where decisions are made, and because kids deserve better than what she experienced growing up.
Check out Sarah’s interviews with Derrick Holder and Brianna Newhart, and all of our interviews with other candidates from this event at progressiveindiana.net.
