A portrait of a transgender-identifying former official of the Department of Health and Human Services now carries his biological name rather than his chosen identity.
Rachel Levine is the first transgender-identifying person to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and served as the assistant secretary of HHS in the Biden administration.
‘We remain committed to reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine and ensuring that biological reality guides our approach to public health.’
Levine’s portrait now reads, “Richard Levine,” his birth name.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement that the decision was made in order to follow “gold-standard science.”
“Our priority is ensuring that the information presented internally and externally by HHS reflects gold-standard science,” said Nixon. “We remain committed to reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine and ensuring that biological reality guides our approach to public health.”
A spokesperson for Levine called the decision “petty” and bigoted in a statement to NPR.
“During the federal shutdown, the current leadership of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health changed Admiral Levine’s photo to remove her current legal name and use a prior name,” said Levine spokesperson Adrian Shanker.
Shanker went on say it was an act “of bigotry against her.”
Other Democrats condemned the decision.
“Trump officials are so insecure they even erased Admiral Rachel Levine’s name from her own HHS portrait,” responded Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont. “Instead of honoring a patriot who is serving this country, they’re busy stoking bigotry, while the rest of America pays the price.”
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Levine was a prominent supporter of transition surgeries and interventions during his time at HHS.
“Gender-affirming care is medical care,” he said in a 2023 statement. “Gender-affirming care is mental health care. Gender-affirming care is literally suicide prevention care.”
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