In contrast to other conservatives, one South Florida Republican Congresswoman is standing up for transgender rights.
For South Florida Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the debate around transgender rights is personal: her son Rodrigo is trans. That’s why the Congresswoman and her family are partnering with South Florida LGBT rights group SAVE, and releasing a PSA. In the ad, the Congresswoman, her husband Dexter and their son Rodrigo sit around their kitchen table, and encourage other Floridians to accept trans family members.
"Our son is transgender. We loved him as Amanda, and now as Rodrigo," Ros-Lehtinen says in the ad.
The Congresswoman goes on to challenge discrimination against transgender people.
“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. All of our children should have the opportunity to work hard, earn a living, and take responsibility for their lives on the same terms as everyone else,” she said.
Organizers hope the message reaches the Latino community, producing the ad in English and Spanish. The Obama administration asserts public schools that don’t protect trans individuals could lose federal funding. But in Florida, it is still legal to discriminate against LGBT people.
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