Time Magazine Names Controversial LGBT Leader to Prestigious List Despite Child Safety Concerns

Clear Facts

• Time Magazine named Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, to its 2025 TIME100 Next list
• Heng-Lehtinen’s organization hosts online chatrooms where adults discuss gender transitions with minors without parental oversight
• Child safety advocates have warned these unsupervised platforms create conditions conducive to grooming and exploitation

Time Magazine has honored Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), on its 2025 TIME100 Next list. The recognition comes despite mounting concerns about the organization’s online platforms that facilitate direct communication between adults and minors regarding gender transitions.

The NCTE operates chatrooms where adults can discuss gender identity and medical interventions with children, often without parental knowledge or consent. Critics have pointed to these platforms as creating what child safety experts describe as dangerous conditions for vulnerable young people.

Time Magazine’s “Time Visionaries” include Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black who runs an organization that tries to trans kids without their parents knowing and Julia Olson, the activist lawyer who unsuccessfully tried to sue the Trump admin claiming his energy policies were… pic.twitter.com/6S121RlZA8

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“This is a classic setup for grooming or trafficking,” warned child safety advocates who have reviewed the platform’s structure and policies.

The organization has defended its practices as providing necessary support to transgender youth. However, the lack of parental involvement and verification systems has raised red flags among child protection specialists and conservative family advocates.

Heng-Lehtinen has been a prominent voice in pushing gender ideology policies across American institutions. The executive director has advocated for policies that would allow minors to access life-altering medical procedures without parental consent and has lobbied against legislative efforts to protect children from experimental treatments.

Time Magazine’s decision to honor Heng-Lehtinen reflects the publication’s continued promotion of progressive gender ideology. The magazine has faced criticism in recent years for its coverage of transgender issues, with many Americans viewing its reporting as one-sided and dismissive of legitimate concerns about child safety and parental rights.

The recognition also highlights the broader cultural divide over how society should approach questions of gender identity, particularly when it involves children. Traditional conservatives maintain that parents should retain primary authority over their children’s medical decisions and that adults should not have unsupervised access to discuss life-altering procedures with minors.

The NCTE has not responded to questions about safeguarding measures in place to prevent potential exploitation of minors using their platforms. The organization continues to operate these chatrooms as part of its advocacy work.

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