In a wide-ranging interview with The Advocate, California Democratic U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna spoke about affirming trans rights after recent controversial comments online, the fight over redistricting, and his push for clarity around the Epstein case that has brought Democrats and some Republicans together in a rare bipartisan effort.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
Earlier this month, Khanna was criticized after comments he made about free speech following the arrest of Irish comedian Graham Linehan at an airport in the U.K. Linehan had posted about punching trans women in women’s bathrooms. In a completely separate case, Linehan is facing charges of harassing a trans activist.
Khanna wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the airport arrest was “an offense to anyone who supports free speech” and compared it to the detention of queer Irish writer Oscar Wilde.
In his interview with The Advocate, Khanna acknowledged that he didn't really know the comedian at the time he tweeted.
“When this comedian I was not very familiar with made those horrific comments about punching trans individuals, I obviously am deeply offended by that, just as I've been offended when someone makes comments about hating Indian Americans or telling Indian people to go back to India,” he said.
“I have always supported and stood up for the trans community, even when others in my party were abandoning them,” he said, adding that he has worked to secure expanding gender markers on passports and defended trans youth in sports.
Khanna said he was “a very strong champion of free speech” and that he disagreed with what he called “government suppression” of speech, which is what he believes happened with the recent arrest in the U.K.
Khanna said that the answer to bad speech is more speech. “When we end up taking government action against speech, it actually makes that person a rebel and a martyr,” he said. “And it has the opposite effect of what we want, which is to defeat ugly and hateful speech with a more dignified speech.”
He said that people can criticize him as being too much of a free speech defender, but it has nothing to do with “my absolute commitment to standing with the trans community and LGBTQ rights."
Khanna is also in the thick of the battle over California’s upcoming redistricting vote on November 4. It’s an effort that could shape whether Democrats regain the House. He acknowledged the challenge of motivating voters in a low-turnout election but stressed the stakes of this initiative.
“If you care about having the House back and putting a check on Trump, we’ve got to pass this. There’s no other choice right now,” he urged.
Khanna credited Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and progressive groups for rallying together, calling the campaign “a moment to fight fire with fire.”
But perhaps Khanna’s most urgent fight is his push to release the full Epstein files, an effort he has spearheaded alongside Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie as well as the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, who are calling for full disclosure.
Serving on the House Oversight Committee, Khanna has reviewed portions of the Epstein documents and has been blunt about their implications.
“The offensive birthday letter, which is pretty obviously signed by Trump, is proof that he’s been lying about this the whole time,” he said, saying that other correspondence reveals “a culture of the dehumanization of women that the country needs to grapple with.”
Khanna insists this issue is fundamentally about accountability. “It’s about standing with survivors. It’s about protecting America’s children. And it’s about accountability for people who are rich and powerful,” he said.
Last week, Khanna and Massie brought together victims of Epstein on the Capitol steps, who gave searing accounts about their experiences with the convicted sex offender.
“The survivors’ testimony has shifted the debate more than any document ever could,” he pointed out. “When the courageous survivors told their stories, that’s what blew this open. They are the real heroes. They showed such courage, reliving their trauma in front of the country. Maybe it’s going to take survivors of sexual assault and rape to bring this country together.”
Speaker Mike Johnson earlier this summer adjourned the House to stall momentum on the Epstein case as well as delay the vote to release the files. Despite that, Khanna believes the bipartisan discharge petition to compel release of the files will succeed.
“I do think we will get the votes and the discharge petition will pass,” he said. “That would be the first time in nine years that the Republican House has passed something like this with bipartisan support. It sends a real message about the magnitude.”
The congressman pointed to the surprising coalition that has formed.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace are on board, and I know they were very moved when they met with the Epstein victims,” he said. “Hearing from the survivors was really a game changer.”
Khanna said that Americans understand the issues around wealth and power that allowed Epstein to commit many of the crimes he had been charged with and convicted of. It’s what made this issue one that unites across party lines.
He said he is confident the victims’ attorneys will help ensure the Department of Justice cannot redact or omit damaging information.
“The attorneys have seen all of the files, so they will know if something is missing,” he said. “They have been fighting so hard for these victims, and they will be instrumental in assuring that all the truths come out.”
The next step for the discharge petition, Khanna said, depends on an upcoming congressional special election in Arizona to fill the seat for the late Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva. If Democrats hold the seats, it would secure the 219 signatures needed for the release of the Epstein files bill to be put up for a vote.
Khanna believes Democrats will have the numbers to advance.
“I suspect there are Republicans who won’t put their name on it now, but once it’s over the top, they’ll join in. And once the House acts, I think there will be pressure on Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”
Also, Khanna argues the issue could force Trump into a corner.
“He campaigned on releasing those files. If he doesn’t follow through, it shows how the rich and powerful can outrun accountability. That’s not a society any American wants to live in. There has to be one system of justice.”
Ultimately, Khanna says that it comes down to doing what’s right for the survivors, because they showed enormous courage coming forward and reliving their trauma.
“It’s important to reiterate that this should be about them. It should be. And it should be about the other victims of sexual assault of Epstein. One of the things that has surprised me, and maybe it shouldn't have, is that I've gotten at least a couple of dozen women who I've known in different capacities texting or emailing and sharing their stories of how they've survived sexual assault or rape in the past after they watched the survivors tell their stories.”
He concluded, “So there's a huge issue, a cultural issue in our country. And this is a time for us to stand up and say that's unacceptable.”
Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes