Elected officials should use their right of free speech when candidates who are attempting to unseat the representatives employ bigotry, hate and fear to win a race.

Republican Rep. Jeanne Ives has a bigoted political advertisement sarcastically “thanking” Gov. Bruce Rauner for his support of birth control, unions, sanctuary cities and for allowing grown men in dresses to use girls’ bathrooms, according to the BenedictRauner.com ad.

Ives mocked the transgender community and inflamed the bathroom debate by mischaracterizing Rauner’s support of House Bill 1785. The ad depicts a man wearing a dress thanking Rauner because he can now use the women’s bathroom. This representation is inflammatory as Ives is insinuating the transgender community is illegitimate and bills that grant them equal rights are just tools for illegitimate members of the trans community to be sexual predators.

House Bill 1785 actually amends the Vital Records Act. The bill requires those who have undergone “gender transition treatment” to have a licensed health care or mental health care professional make a declaration about the individual’s transition before issuing an updated birth certificate with their new gender and name, according to the bill.

When Ives’ decision to run the commercial and its intent were questioned, her spokesperson doubled down and said “she is not pulling the ad because she is not intimidated by Gov. Rauner and what she called his paid party mouthpieces,” according to a Feb. 3 WGN article.

What’s most interesting about Ives’ political ad is Rauner never publicly denounced her bigoted ad; he remained silent on the topic altogether.

While Ives is in her own right to say and think what she wants about the transgender community, her ad is not a true reflection of the bill passed by Rauner.

Elected officials especially Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner ,should be representing all communities, and Ives’ misleading attack against Rauner was also an attack against the very communities Illinois elected officials are supposed to represent.

The only way to combat an individual’s right to spew hate and bigotry is by using the same right to counter their words.

People in power have an obligation as elected officials to use their voice to represent people. By staying silent, they aren’t doing their job.

Hate speech is a constitutional right, but it doesn’t mean that those who hear it should remain silent. Leading is knowing when to speak up for those you represent, and when it’s best to remain silent.