Dr. Rachel Levine Becomes First Trans Woman Ever Appointed to Cabinet-Level Position

She now becomes the highest-ranking trans official in U.S. history.
Rachel Levine Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tom Brenner/Getty Images

 

Dr. Rachel Levine made history on Wednesday by becoming the first transgender woman in history to be confirmed to a Cabinet-level position by the U.S. Senate. Following a 52-48 vote, Levine will become the assistant secretary of health in the Department of Housing and Human Services, making her also the highest-ranking trans official in U.S. history.

The vote fell largely along partisan lines, with just two Republicans, moderates Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, voting in favor of Levine’s confirmation. While Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s historic nomination was approved in a bipartisan 86-13 vote in February, Levine faced a great deal more opposition from conservatives in the Senate. During her confirmation hearing earlier this month, she was targeted with hostile questioning about gender-affirming care for trans youth.

In a widely criticized exchange, senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) referred to treatments like confirmation surgery as “genital mutilation” and claimed that “American culture is now normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones to prevent their body’s biological development of their secondary sexual characteristics.”

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Sen. Rand Paul compared gender-affirming care for transgender youth to genital mutilation.

Other Republicans took aim at Levine’s work as the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, a position she was appointed to in 2017 by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf. Senator Pat Toomey, who serves Levine’s home state, claimed that Levine’s “poor decisions” led to the COVID-19 pandemic striking “seniors in nursing homes disproportionately hard compared to other states.” He also claimed Pennsylvania’s lockdown orders were “excessive, arbitrary in nature, and has led to a slower recovery.”

“While I appreciate Dr. Levine’s service and responsiveness to my office over the past year, she has not earned a promotion to help lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and I cannot support her confirmation,” Toomey said in a statement cited by the local news site PennLive.com.

Despite Toomey’s claims, Pennsylvania has among the lowest rates of COVID-19 per capita of any U.S. state. According to the New York Times, it has the 11th lowest coronavirus rate overall — behind national COVID response leaders like Hawaii and Vermont. What’s more, Pennsylvania fared better than other states with a similar population, such as Ohio, Illinois, and New York.

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups celebrated her confirmation as a watershed moment for the country’s history, even in spite of criticisms from conservatives. The Victory Fund, which assists queer and trans political hopefuls in running for office, said the moment’s importance “extends well-beyond the health of our nation alone.”

“At a time when hateful politicians are weaponizing trans lives for their own perceived political gain, Dr. Levine’s confirmation lends focus to the contributions trans people make to our nation and deflates absurd arguments calling for their exclusion,” said Annise Parker, Victory Fund’s CEO and president, in a statement. “Her experience leading the health department in Pennsylvania will serve our country well and her unique perspective regarding healthcare for trans people will be invaluable.”

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The Human Rights Campaign, meanwhile, said the vote represented an unprecedented opportunity for LGBTQ+ people to “see themselves reflected at the highest levels of our government.”

“With the confirmation of Dr. Rachel Levine, we are one step closer to a government that mirrors the beautiful diversity of its people,” said HRC president Alphonso David in a press release. “It is absolutely critical that everybody has a seat at the table and the Biden-Harris administration has made a dedicated, applaudable effort to ensure that outcome.”

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GLAAD, meanwhile, noted that seating Levine in the influential post is just the latest pro-LGBTQ+ move from the new administration, which has made 24 decisions in support of the community in the first 63 days. Her confirmation marks number 25, following a flurry of executive orders and memos from President Joe Biden enforcing LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination in federal policy, overturning Trump’s trans military ban, and vowing to advance queer and trans equality abroad.

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The organization predicted that Levine will “show the world that transgender people lead, serve and contribute — the kind of visibility and recognition that will save and inspire LGBTQ lives.” “In her historic role, Dr. Levine will open doors for health and for acceptance as she helps our country both heal, and grow,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s CEO and president, in a statement.

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