Diane Rodriguez is elected Ecuador's first transgender politician

Ecuador got its first transgender politician on 19th February when Diane Rodriguez, 34, was elected to Ecuador's national assembly. Rodriguez, a psychologist and activist, ran as a candidate for the the left-leaning Movimiento Alianza PAIS, lead by outgoing President Rafael Correa.

This election day was also the first time that the South American country's transgender population were able to vote using ID cards showing their chosen gender, which was particularly significant for the trans community in a country where voters must wait in lines of men and women.

Rodriguez is head of Ecuador's national federation of LGBTI organisations and is known for her activism in this area. She and her partner, Venezuelan transgender activist, Fernando Machado had their first child in June last year. The family is the subject of upcoming documentary Sununú: The Revolution of Love, by Olivia Crellin.

Rodriguez' election follows Venezuela electing its first transgender lawmaker, lawyer and activist Tamara Adrian, in 2015.