Rachel Levine is one cool cat. At her February Senate confirmation hearings to serve as assistant secretary of health in the Biden administration, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul falsely lectured her that gender-affirming surgery amounted to “genital mutilation.”
Former Pennsylvania knew that a single misstep could doom her historic opportunity to become first trans person to receive Senate confirmation and that Paul would like nothing more than to rattler her into saying something he could use against her–and trans people everywhere.
Falsely claiming that Levine supports “surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia,” Paul asked Levine if she believed young people below the age of 18 are capable of making “such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?”
She refused to get drawn into the former ophthalmologist’s cruel attacks, no matter how diabolically he pressed his anti-trans propaganda.
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Levine, a pediatrician, calmly–and of course correctly, being on the side of science and truth–responded that transgender medicine is “a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed,” and promised to discuss specifics if she is confirmed.
Those who watched Levine’s unflappability were hardly surprised. After all, Levine is former Pennsylvania Director of Health who guided the state through the coronavirus pandemic during an election year where her gender identity came under relentless attack from Republicans looking for wedge issues to keep the state red.
Last year, meanwhile, an evangelical minister exhorted his followers to “rise up” and “chase” the doctor out of the state. He repeatedly referred to her as “it,” “a man,” and a “freak transvestite.”
“You are absolutely insane if you let that transvestite freak rule your life,” pastor Rick Wiles screamed. “You’re going to that transvestite freak? Seriously?”
This was despite the fact that Levine — appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf (D) in 2017 as acting health secretary — had long ago proven herself–to Republican legislators who curry the favor of the religious right. She was confirmed three times by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate to serve as secretary of health and the state’s physician general, making her the most visible of an increasing number of trans officials serving in office nationwide.
The lessons of these battles are clear. Levine’s cool under fire makes her a role model and top-notch advocate for a healthy America, whether it comes to LGBTQ or anyone else. Nothing will stop her from doing her job as a professional, especially not the Rand Pauls of the world intent on bringing her down.
As the first trans ASH I'd like to reflect on the countless people who helped the LGBTQ+ community get here, both those known & those working from the shadows. We have not made progress until we have made it for ALL. I’ll continue to advocate for the marginalized.
Happy #Pride pic.twitter.com/qfiEeZYsEi
— Dr. Rachel Levine (@HHS_ASH) June 1, 2021
Kangol2
Dr. Rachel Levine is a brilliant, highly competent doctor and administrator, so Biden deserves credit not just for nominating her but bringing her into his administration.
Also, karma: the vile homophobe-transphobe, anti-Semitic, racist Covid-19 dismisser and anti-vaxer Rev. Rick Wiles trashed Dr. Levine, and now, as it turns out, he’s in the hospital with…Covid 19!
Max
ha! be it karma or the higher power above, this is sweet the reverend got something that should confirm his stupidity.
Fahd
Kudos to her mental toughness! She’s a model in how to thwart Paul’s tiresome attempts to develop being obnoxious into an art form.
To the writer here , Mr. Bull – I recommend quickly through spell/grammar check.
LumpyPillows
It’s a very low bar to point out Rand Paul’s idiocy. Good for her.
London_resistance
Good news from the UK today, an employment tribunal found that being Gender critical is a protected characteristic under UK law!
Yay!
If you’re interested Do a google search for Maya Forstater
i can’t write any more details as the mods on this site will delete my comment
tjack47
I’m not interested in his answer, but I must question whether or not, Rand Paul, is circumcised?
Tombear
I known people who have worked with her and they ALL say she is a brilliant doctor.
Fname Optional Lname
I love how she played him and he didn’t see it coming! His ignorant Republican A$$ believed he could outwit a Dr who was the former PA Director of Health! As for the other referring to her as a “freak transvestite” – only his ignorance prevents him from realizing that many of us strive to earn such a title!
These people have never gotten off the playground!
inbama
As a concerned gay man, I’ve been following these issues intensely for over 20 years.
Question i: Have any of you come across a peer-reviewed study that did NOT show that, left untreated, a majority of gender-nonconforming kids resolved their gender dysphoria issues after puberty and understood they were simply gay or lesbian?
Question 2: If you were an effeminate gay child whose parents took him to a gender clinic and put him on puberty blockers, would you consider this treatment “completely reversible” if it left you with “decreased bone density” and a small penis?
Tallskin
I agree 100% with you inbama.
What makes the entire phenomenon more galling is that our gay and lesbian media and all our orgs have gone over to support this horrible ideology
Witness all the gender critical comments that were on here and have been deleted! (i know for a fact that several have been deleted and only comments praising this person remain)
mailliw110
Maybe you should find out what these people have to go through just to get that far. It’s not a simple one time doctor appointment.
HenryCameron
At 5 I was running around in heels and makeup, and my mom was telling people that I should have been a girl. I shudder to think about the fate of all the sissy boys and tomboy girls coming along today who will get pegged as trans and screwed up by activist adults.
Dr Sarah
@inbama:
1. Actually, from what I’ve seen, studies have shown that most gender non-conforming kids are straight. I think you’re probably thinking of studies done by gender dysphoria clinics that found that most of the children referred to them didn’t have gender dysphoria and could be discharged. So the myths and fears are way off base; gender dysphoria clinics actually have a history of being very good at finding out when children don’t need to go through any kind of physical change.
2. OK, whoa, *so* much misunderstanding in that question. (It’s a ‘Have you stopped beating your wife?’ equivalent.)
Firstly, gender therapy guidelines are clear on this: The only way a child should be going on puberty blockers is if that child has severe longstanding feelings of gender mismatch, the early stages of puberty are making this worse, and the child *wants* to go on blockers to keep this from happening. These are the children who’ve already been through the counselling, it’s been established that this is way beyond just liking clothes/games that aren’t traditional for their gender; these are children who are having major problems with their gender not matching their bodies. So this isn’t a case of children being ‘put on’ blockers; these are children who *want* to go on blockers because they’re really struggling without them.
Secondly, they’re going through puberty, which means that if you don’t block that you *are* going to get irreversible changes. So, imagine your brain knowing you’re a boy, but your body is growing breasts. Or your brain knows you’re a girl but your body is getting taller and hairier and your voice is deepening, and you know that a lot of this change is just not going to be reversible if it’s left till you’re an adult, and if it is it’s going to take major surgery. Under those circumstances, knowing that’s what going to happen if you *don’t* take blockers… how reversible would the decision *not* to take blockers feel for you?
If you were growing breasts, and all anyone would do was tell you to put up with them for years and then hope you could get major painful surgery to remove them, and the excuse doctors gave for not giving you medication that could completely prevent you from having to go through this was that there was a *possible* risk that you might end up with lower bone density… would you really feel that being left to have years of being a boy or man with breasts was the best, most reversible decision there?
Tallskin
Mailliw110, 90% of trans women don’t have surgery nor do they take any hormones.
I am not sure if you know this and are lying or whether you’ve been taken in by the lies that these people tell constantly.
London_resistance
““For Gender Critical gays and lesbians, the insistence of homosexuality as same-gender attraction can be seen as unvarnished, base homophobia of the type that even five years ago was thought defeated, except within the most reactionary and bigoted corners of society.”
This is by this by Peter Daly, who represented @MForstater in her successful appeal, here in the UK, after she was sacked from her job for publicly saying a man cannot change sex and become a woman:
“A significant portion of lesbian, gay or bisexual people are very clear that they are same-sex (and not same-gender) attracted.”