Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's Transgendered Son To Be Honored By SAVE

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The transgender son of U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will be honored Friday by the LGBT-rights group SAVE.

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, who grew up as Amanda, will receive the Champions of Equality award at a reception at Briza on the Bay, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. He will be accompanied by his father, former U.S. Attorney Dexter Lehtinen. His mother will not be able to make it due to a scheduling conflict.

Heng-Lehtinen, who transitioned five years ago, is married and lives in Los Angeles where he works for GLAAD as a donor services director.

Ros-Lehtinen is one of Congress' most outspoken advocates for LGBT equality. In 2003, she told the Miami Herald that her children helped her evolve on the subject of gay rights.

"They think of it as a Neanderthal way of thinking not to accept someone because of their sexual orientation," Ros-Lehtinen said at the time.

This weekend, Ros-Lehtinen has a message for other parents of LGBT children:

"Mother's Day may be a difficult holiday for many families who have not been accepting of their children's gender identity issues," Ros-Lehtinen said. "Our kids deserve to be treated as adults who have struggled to find their authentic selves and families should come to terms with that realization. It can be a painful journey of awareness for both the child and the parent but a necessary one. Dexter and I are blessed to have four adult children and we love each one. Why would we not?"

Other 2015 SAVE Champions of Equality: Arianna Lint, Sunserve transgender services director; Mark Rosenberg, president of Florida International University; and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.