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.”
Elon Musk has waded into the Virginia governor's race to attack Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, accusing her of "trying to weasel out" of a question about transgender students accessing bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Musk shared a post on X highlighting Spanberger's response to WJLA reporter Nick Minock, who asked whether she supports "biological males who say they're women using women's locker rooms and bathrooms and competing in women's sports."
Spanberger stumbled in her response, noting that any attempt by a future Virginia governor or the Trump administration to impose a bathroom ban could run afoul of a 2020 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision allowing transgender students in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
A Republican candidate who campaigned against transgender rights has dropped out of the Wisconsin governor's race after a local newspaper revealed he had followed several sex- and relationship-focused blogs on Medium, including one authored by a nonbinary porn performer.
Bill Berrien, a former Navy SEAL and CEO of Pindel Global Precision, a manufacturer of precision-machined components, was one of three Republicans competing for the party’s nomination in the 2026 Wisconsin governor’s race.
The 56-year-old businessman faced an uphill battle in the primary, where political observers saw him as the most "moderate" candidate. That perception stemmed from his past support for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign, his backing of ranked-choice voting, and his criticism of Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed a same-sex couple's lawsuit against Lufthansa Airlines to move forward, after the pair alleged that airline employees effectively "outed" them to Saudi authorities, putting their lives at risk.
Filed in 2021 by John Doe, a U.S. citizen, and Robert Roe, a Saudi national, the lawsuit accuses Lufthansa of publicly disclosing private facts, breaching its contract, and negligently causing the couple emotional and financial harm.
In 2024, a district judge dismissed the case, ruling that although Lufthansa operates in California, Doe and Roe "failed to show that their claims arise out of or relate to activities in California." The 9th Circuit reversed that decision, clearing the way for the couple's lawsuit to proceed.
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