IN THIS EPISODE
Amid ongoing disputes over transgender rights in the U.S., Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen has consistently aimed to improve the safety and accessibility of trans people. While recent data from the largest survey of trans people in the U.S. indicates some progress, there remains significant work to be done. During this episode, host Gabrielle David discusses with Heng-Lehtinen his life lessons and how they connect to the key issues confronting transgender individuals, including the upcoming initiatives of the new organization, Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE).

“Now, when there is a glaring spotlight on trans people in America, we have an opportunity to show the country who we are. Telling the truth about what it means to be trans, using real data, can counter the misinformation being spread about our community. It is important that we tell our own stories and that we are heard loud and clear.”

—Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, “Trans people: Let’s show this country who we are,” LA Blade, November 11, 2022

BIO
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen is a Cuban-American transgender advocate and policy expert who currently holds the position of Executive Director at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), a social justice advocacy organization. He publicly came out as a transgender man while attending Brown University and later disclosed his identity to his parents, attorney and politician Dexter Lehtinen and former congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, becoming the first openly transgender child of a member of Congress. Heng-Lehtinen also has a background in documentary production and has worked in various roles at organizations focused on LGBTQ rights and advocacy, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Gender Justice LA, Freedom For All Americans, Liberty Hill Foundation, Transgender Law Center, and GLAAD. In 2019, he joined NCTE as Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Action, and in 2021, he assumed the role of Executive Director, succeeding the organization’s founding executive director. 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 by the summer, resulting in the formation of a new entity called Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), with Heng-Lehtinen continuing in the role of Executive Director.

SEE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

CONNECT WITH RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN

• • Wikipedia
  • Twitter (@transrigo)
  • Linkedin (Heng-Lehtinen)
  • National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
  • Facebook NCTE
  • Twitter NCTE (@transequality)
  • YouTube NCTE

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