LifeSite: The U.S. Senate voted 52 to 48 Wednesday to confirm Pennsylvania Health Secretary Richard “Rachel” Levine, a man “identifying” as a woman, to be assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Biden administration.
Every Democrat voted in favor of Levine, joined by liberal, pro-abortion Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Conservative critics have argued that, as a so-called “trans woman” who endorses and promotes the notion that individuals can change their “gender identity” at will, Levine lacks the medical credibility and objectivity to be entrusted with hot-button transgender issues. He has been a longtime, outspoken proponent of “gender affirmation” and “sex reassignment” treatment for minors. In a 2017 lecture, he endorsed puberty-blockers to gender-confused children throughout puberty, followed by “sex change” surgery at 18. While transgender surgery “usually” is performed only on adults, Levine said “there are exceptions.”
Last month, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) slammed Levine for his refusal “to say, absolutely, minors shouldn’t be making decisions to amputate their breasts or to amputate their genitalia.” Read More
