Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine – Photo: Chris Sean Smith/ U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Admiral Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has called on Americans to stop politically-motivated attacks on transgender people, especially trans youth.
Speaking in a pre-recorded video aired during a Pride Month event hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., Levine, who is Jewish, slammed proposed bills and recently passed laws seeking to restrict transgender rights, calling on Americans to “stand together against bullying.”
Appearing in full military uniform in the video, Levine explained how many transgender people in America are facing turbulent times, noting: “The past few months have been a difficult time for our LGBTQI+ community in the United States.”
“Attacks on the health and well-being of trans youth and trans adults have driven a political wedge into what should be a private, strictly medical conversation,” Levine continued. “Now we all need to stand together against bullying in public. We see that kind of emotional abuse in our communities.”
While Levine did not single out any particular person or entity in her speech, Republican lawmakers in more than two dozen states have proposed bills or executive orders to remove protections for, or restrict the rights of, LGBTQ individuals.
“No one deserves that kind of treatment,” Levine said. “Certainly not a young person or teenager who’s already more likely to face bullying at school.”
Uzra Zeya, the State Department’s undersecretary for human rights, also appeared at the Israeli Embassy Pride event. In remarks, Zeya discussed advancements that have benefitted LGBTQ people made possible by U.S. and Israeli cooperation.
“We celebrate that Israel has a strong and diverse LGBTQI plus organizational network, the earliest of these organizations going back nearly 50 years,” she said. “The United States and Israel are working together throughout the UN system to counter hate speech and promote gender equality LGBTQI+ rights, women’s empowerment, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [Convention], among many other issues.”
Michael Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, also attended the event, stating in his own remarks that “Israel is a natural partner in advancing these values.”
Respect for the rights of sexual and gender minorities has generally been prioritized by lawmakers in Israel, which is the only major Middle East nation with legal protections for LGBTQ people. The nation has recently banned gay conversion therapy and lifted bans on same-sex couples adopting children, in contrast with recent political trends in the United States.
“We must strongly advocate for the most underserved and marginalized in our LGBTQ+ community, including our trans youth, and trans women of color,” Levine said in her prepared remarks. “You should all be able to live your lives no matter who you are, or who you love.”
A federal judge issued a nationwide order blocking a pair of executive orders from President Donald Trump seeking to criminalize the provision of gender-affirming health care to transgender youth.
U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson, of the District of Maryland, granted a preliminary injunction to the families of several transgender young adults and adolescents whose access to gender-affirming care was disrupted by Trump's orders. Those families are joined by the pro-LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG National and GLMA, the country's largest organization of LGBTQ and allied health professionals.
U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender person ever elected to Congress, has reportedly cautioned Democrats about the need to foster conversations when it comes to engaging with those who have reservations about certain issues like transgender participation in sports.
"We have to create more space in our tent," McBride told NOTUS about how Democrats should approach people with reservations or genuine questions about transgender inclusion. "If, for instance, we want to have a majoritarian coalition -- not just electorally, but specifically on issues around trans rights -- that, by necessity, is going to have to include people who have a range of thoughts.
Cincinnati Pride announced it will cut ties with several corporate sponsors, sacrificing tens of thousands of dollars, in response to the companies' decisions to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and initiatives.
The organization acknowledged that it would be a struggle to replace the funding for its annual Pride parade. But it has also said it is essential to stand by its values, which include respect for the history and diverse culture of the LGBTQ community.
Cincinnati Pride says it doesn't want to work with corporate sponsors that are viewed as hostile to those values and would rather work with companies that have demonstrated a genuine, ongoing commitment to LGBTQ causes throughout the calendar year, according to Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT.
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