Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s proud of her Trans Son
A Miami television station on Monday aired Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s first interview with her transgender son.
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Rodrigo Lehtinen during the exclusive interview with WFOR spoke at length about his decision to tell his parents in 2007 that he is trans. Rodrigo Lehtinen, whose birth name is Amanda, came out as gay while in high school.
“Coming out as transgender is really about coming out as your authentic self, coming out as the person you always knew you were,” said Rodrigo Lehtinen. “But no one else may have known and now you’re sharing that honesty with other people for the first time.”
Ros-Lehtinen and her husband, Dexter Lehtinen, a former U.S. attorney, both spoke to WFOR reporter Jim DeFede about accepting their son.
“As parents, we wanted to make sure that Rigo understood that we’re totally fine with it and that we wanted to make sure that he was safe,” said Ros-Lehtinen. “We know Rigo as our child, whether it’s Amanda or now as Rodrigo. He’s our son. We’re proud of him.”
“We’re very happy that our son is happy with who he is,” she added. “That’s a blessing to us.”
Ros-Lehtinen is the first Republican in Congress to publicly support marriage rights for same-sex couples. She is also an original co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I have full confidence that she would have come to these pro-LGBT opinions, whether I happen to be transgender or not,” said Rodrigo Lehtinen.
Ros-Lehtinen, who was born in Cuba, is a vocal critic of the Cuban government.
She frequently criticizes Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban President RaĂşl Castro, whose supporters have credited with expanding LGBT rights on the Communist island. Ros-Lehtinen late last month in a statement to the Washington Blade blasted Cuba’s bid to host a 2016 LGBT rights conference in Havana, the Cuban capital.
The Miami Herald in 2010 first reported that Ros-Lehtinen has a trans son.
Rodrigo Lehtinen, who is a former fellow of the National LGBTQ Task Force, told WFOR that many of his Republican friends told him they “support” him and rights for trans people.
Ros-Lehtinen during interview offered advice to other parents with trans children.
“Don’t freak out,” she said. “Stay calm and don’t be afraid. Love your child because that is your child…never reject your child.”
LGBT rights advocates were quick to praise Ros-Lehtinen for publicly supporting her trans son.
“While the fact that Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen has a transgender son may be news to some, her love of Rigo has been no secret in the halls of Congress,” Gregory T. Angelo, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, told the Blade on Tuesday. “Putting a human face on LGBT issues has been one of the most important catalysts for the rapid progress on issues such as non-discrimination and marriage equality legislation in recent years. This CBS profile shows why.”
Tico Almeida, a Cuban American Democrat who is executive director of Freedom to Work, a group lobbying Congress to pass ENDA, agreed.
“Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has long been one of the best allies that LGBT Americans have had in the Republican conference and in the entire Congress,” he told the Blade. “It’s really wonderful to see that television news report covering how proud she is to be the loving mother of her transgender son.”
Darlene Nipper, deputy executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, applauded both Rodrigo Lehtinen and his parents.
“We are proud of former National NGLTQ Task Force Fellow and Field Organizer Rodrigo Lehtinen’s contributions to the LGBTQ movement — his work and his family’s support provide millions of LGBTQ youth struggling to find acceptance with hope,” Nipper told the Blade in a statement.
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