Rodrigo Lehtinen

Heng{{endash}}Lehtinen was born in Miami, Florida, on April 1, 1986.Viglucci, Andres. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB364BF78FE338F&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=6 Lehtinens' First Hurrah is a Seven-pound Girl]". The Miami Herald. April 2, 1986. He graduated from Palmer Trinity School, "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB72F9B6D1C44EC&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=7 Palmer Scholars]". The Miami Herald. January 7, 2001. where he was active in a dramatic arts club and mountaineering team,DeFede, Jim. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=151B55C456F55D78&p_docnum=12&p_queryname=2 Amanda to Rodrigo, the son of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen]" (Spanish). The Nuevo Herald. November 19, 2014. p. 1A. served on the Honor Council, and founded a high school chapter of Amnesty International."[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0F67558065D36725&p_docnum=6&p_queryname=7 Palmer Trinity Names Honor Council Members]". The Miami Herald. October 3, 2002. He attended Brown University, where he began living openly as a transgender man and later came out to his parents.

Heng-Lehtinen was a member of Queer Alliance at Brown University. While attending Brown, he produced the documentary, Free Within These Walls, about Cuban prisoners of conscience.Janusonis, Michael. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=152423CCA43F9250&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2 Latin American Film Festival - Cuba in the Spotlight - With Subtitles]". Providence Journal. September 25, 2009. p. D1. Heng-Lehtinen was a field organizer for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.Rothaus, Steve. "Gay Rights Group will honor Two Lawmakers". The Miami Herald. March 17, 2010. p. 1B. He was later the membership director at Gender Justice LA, a grassroots organization that works to build the power of the transgender community in Los Angeles through community organizing and leadership development. He also worked in fundraising at Liberty Hill Foundation, organized a transgender leadership development conference with the Transgender Law Center, and served as the membership manager at GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization.{{cite web|title=GOP congresswoman, transgender son press for equal protections|website=CNN |date=25 May 2016|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/politics/ileana-ros-lehtinen-transgender-son-family/index.html|accessdate=11 June 2017}}

In May 2015, Heng-Lehtinen was honored by the LGBTQ-rights group, SAVE Dade, at its 2015 Champions of Equality reception. He was honored for appearing with his mother in a highly rated television interview, increasing visibility of the transgender community.Rothaus, Steve. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1547FA0FAA9031C8&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=3 SAVE to honor trans activists Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Arianna Lint; FIU's Mark Rosenberg]". The Miami Herald. April 3, 2015.

In May 2016, Heng-Lehtinen and his parents appeared in a public service announcement titled "Family is Everything", which discusses his family's personal journey and acceptance, that all South Florida families should embrace their children, and the reason why all Americans should have the same opportunities regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation."[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=15CD1400C4FF53D0&p_docnum=9&p_queryname=3 Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Husband Dexter, and Son Rodrigo Partner with SAVE and MDC to Promote Equality for all Americans]". Targeted News Service. May 12, 2016.

Heng-Lehtinen was the public education director at Freedom For All Americans, the national campaign for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.{{cite web|url=http://www.freedomforallamericans.org/about/team/|title=FFAA staff listing|website=Freedom For All Americans Team|publisher=Freedom For All Americans|accessdate=11 June 2017|archive-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629131827/http://www.freedomforallamericans.org/about/team/|url-status=dead}}

Heng-Lehtinen became deputy executive director for policy and action at the National Center for Transgender Equality on July 1, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://transequality.org/press/releases/rodrigo-heng-lehtinen-joins-the-national-center-for-transgender-equality-as-deputy|title=Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen Joins the National Center for Transgender Equality as Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Action|date=Jul 8, 2019|website=National Center for Transgender Equality|accessdate=Oct 11, 2019}} In July of 2021 Heng-Lehtinen moved from Deputy Executive Director into his current role as executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

In 2022, Heng-Lehtinen appeared in The Daily Wire documentary What Is a Woman?, during which he talked about the issue of transgender people in sports.{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Malcolm |date=2022-07-06 |title=The Right's Dangerous 'Just Asking Questions' Anti-Trans Campaign Is Working |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/07/the-just-asking-questions-anti-trans-campaign-is-working.html |access-date=2022-07-10 |website=Intelligencer |language=en-us}}

In January 2024, NCTE revealed plans to merge with the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an organization dedicated to advancing transgender rights through legal action. The merger is expected to be completed in the summer 2024, resulting in the formation of a new entity called Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE),{{cite web |last1=Yurcaba |first1=Jo |title=Two of the country’s largest transgender rights organizations will merge |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/two-countrys-largest-transgender-rights-organizations-will-merge-rcna134205 |website=nbcnews.com |publisher=NBC News |access-date=February 22, 2024}} with Heng-Lehtinen continuing in the role of Executive Director.

Heng-Lehtinen is the older child of attorney and politician Dexter Lehtinen and former congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.Rothaus, Steve. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=151B2A8B4CD2B318&p_docnum=11&p_queryname=2 From Amanda to Rodrigo: CBS4 interviews Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's transgender son]". The Miami Herald. November 18, 2014.Meluzá, Lourdes. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB9629BB2675FFD&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=6 Frente]" (Spanish). The Nuevo Herald. August 30, 1987. He is the grandson of author Enrique Ros. He is of Turkish-Jewish and Cuban-Jewish descent through his mother and of Finnish descent through his father.{{Cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-honors-congresswomen-ros-lehtinen-as-a-defender-of-israel-570078 |title=Israel honors Congresswomen Ros-Lehtinen as a 'defender of Israel' |last=Kampeas |first=Ron |date=October 23, 2018 |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=November 24, 2023}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.ku.fi/artikkeli/2765748-ileana-ros-lehtinen-miamin-rautarouva |title=Ileana Ros-Lehtinen – Miamin rautarouva |last=Ruohonen |first=Ilkka |date=April 1, 2012 |work=Kansan Uutiset |language=fi |access-date=November 24, 2023}} Heng-Lehtinen is the first openly transgender child of a member of Congress."[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/ileana-ros-lehtinen-transgender-son_n_6185310.html Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Opens Up About Her Son, The First Trans Child Of A Member Of Congress]". The Huffington Post. Accessed on November 19, 2014.

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Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people

Category:American LGBTQ rights activists

Category:Brown University alumni

Category:American people of Cuban-Jewish descent

Category:American people of Finnish descent

Category:American transgender men

Category:American people of Turkish-Jewish descent

Category:LGBTQ people from Florida

Category:Activists from Miami