Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen is the Executive Director of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), and is a policy, advocacy, and messaging expert. Rodrigo is a proud Cuban American transgender man, with an extensive career in policy and wide-ranging experience in the LGBTQI+ movement that has covered field organizing, volunteer training, leadership development, fundraising, and media advocacy.

Rodrigo is an expert in crafting effective and impactful strategic messaging on transgender issues. His expertise is constantly sought out by advocates and lawmakers eager to craft persuasive messaging to advance transgender rights with audiences across the political spectrum. This expertise has also established Rodrigo as a subject matter expert in the media, conducting international Spanish-language interviews, including on Univision, Telemundo, and CNN en Español, as well as English-language interviews with outlets such as NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and Politico.

Over his 16+ years in the LGBTQI+ movement, he’s worked with many organizations, including Freedom for All Americans, GLAAD, the Transgender Law Center, Gender Justice LA, and the National LGBTQ Task Force. In 2019, he joined the National Center for Transgender Equality as Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Action, and in 2021, he assumed the role of Executive Director. He continues this role at A4TE.

Rodrigo graduated from Brown University and lives in Washington, D.C. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP).