Trans-identified Biden health official calls for social media crackdown on gender 'misinformation'
A newly-surfaced video shows a trans-identified Biden administration official publicly calling for social media and other tech platforms to crack down on “misinformation” about puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and irreversible sex-change surgeries.
Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly trans-identified federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate under a presidential administration, is seen in the May 27 video advocating for healthcare workers to pressure media companies to fight for the “health equity of sexual and gender minorities.”
In the virtual presentation at the Federation of State Medical Board’s 110th annual meeting in New Orleans, Levine warned of what he described as “substantial misinformation about gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“We all need to work together to get our voices out in the front line,” said Levine. “We need to get our voices in the public eye, and we know how effective our medical community can be talking to communities, whether it’s at town halls, schools, conversations with others, and we need to use our clinicians’ voice to collectively advocate for our tech companies to create a healthier, cleaner information environment.”
Levine also asserted that the “positive value of gender-affirming care for youth and adults is not in scientific or medical dispute,” even as medical boards in Florida and other states have moved to ban experimental medicalization of gender-dysphoric youth who are often prescribed puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones and even encouraged to undergo irreversible body-mutilating surgeries.
The video surfaced about a month after a Washington Examiner report found Levine requested research in 2017 to support allowing minors to undergo sex-change surgeries, such as a double mastectomy (top surgery), orchiectomy and vaginoplasty (bottom surgery).
According to the report, Levine sought data from a doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on “top surgery for trans young men and top and bottom surgery for trans young women” to bolster the prospect of sex change operations for minors.
"I know that we had discussed at U.S. PATH the possibility of gender confirmation surgery for young people under 18 years of age," Levine wrote in a May 4, 2017, email to Dr. Nadia Dowshen, who helps run the Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"This could include top surgery for trans young men and top and bottom surgery for trans young women. Is there any literature to support this protocol?"
Dowshen responded that she was “not aware of existing literature but it is certainly happening.”
Born Richard, but identifying as female since 2011, Levine, who never served in the U.S. military, was given the honorary title of admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps by President Joe Biden. Levine is the former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Since March 2021, he has served as assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Health in the Biden administration.
Levine was at the center of Twitter’s decision in March of this year to take action against The Christian Post’s account in response to a tweet that described Levine as a man.
The social media giant notified the Christian news publication that the tweet — which included a link to the article titled, “USA Today names Rachel Levine among its 'Women of the Year” — violated its policy against what it deems as “hateful conduct” by stating a biological fact and suspended the account, including the ability to post new articles.
Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, several high-profile accounts that had been suspended were reinstated, including The Babylon Bee, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Kathy Griffin and Project Veritas, among others. CP has yet to be reinstated.
When Levine became the first openly trans-identified federal official confirmed to work under the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy contended that Levine had also become “the first female four-star officer to serve in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.” This did not sit well with Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.
In response to Murthy’s assertion, Banks remarked on Twitter, “Calling someone that was born and lived as a man for 54 years the first ‘female’ four-star officer is an insult to every little girl who dreams of breaking glass ceilings one day.”
Banks had his Twitter account suspended for a separate tweet he sent out lamenting that “the title of first female four-star officer gets taken by a man.” The social media company cited Banks’ tweet as a violation of its hateful conduct policy, which prohibits tweets that engage in “misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.”
During Levine’s Senate confirmation hearing in February 2021, Levine was questioned by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who's also a doctor, before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
After explaining that “hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics” and that “the American College of Pediatricians reports that 80% to 95% of pre-pubertal children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation,” Paul asked Levine: “Do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?”
Levine replied: “Transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as the assistant secretary of Health, I will look forward to working with you and your office and coming to your office and discussing the particulars of the standards of care for transgender medicine.”
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ian.giatti@christianpost.com.
