Republican congresswoman promotes LGBT rights in video with transgender son

Florida congresswoman puts out LGBT PSA.

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

published 17 May 2016

Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) released a public service announcement Tuesday advocating for transgender rights. The first Cuban-American and Latina to be elected to Congress, Ros-Lehtinen continued her groundbreaking legacy by rejecting the beliefs of many in her party to speak at her kitchen table with her husband and trans son, Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, about acceptance and family values.

"Every transgender person is part of someone's family and should be treated with compassion and protected from discrimination. Family is about acceptance and love," the congresswoman said.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.