Rep. Mike Honda ‘humbled’ by support for his transgender granddaughter

Days after Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose) revealed on Twitter that his granddaughter is transgender, he said he was humbled by the overwhelming outpouring of support.

Honda tweeted a photograph of him and his granddaughter on Wednesday, saying “ As the proud grandpa of a transgender grandchild, I hope she can feel safe at school without fear of being bullied.”

The message was retweeted by thousands of Twitter users and went viral.

Honda said Friday he was humbled and heartened by the public’s response.

“It makes me believe that we are closer than ever to a society where everyone is accepted for who they are,” he said. “On behalf of my granddaughter and daughter, along with the rest of my family, let me say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has replied, retweeted, or commented their support through social media.”

He promised to continue working for the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus and fighting against bullying.

Honda is a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community and equal rights. He co-sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 and was a vocal opponent of California’s Proposition 8.

“We need to ensure that our LGBTQ youth are never bullied because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” he said. “These children need our protection and our love.”

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