Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine argued the government does not "belong" in decisions regarding "gender-affirming care" while speaking about "health equity" on Thursday.
Levine took part in a Washington Post Live event on the subject of health equity "to eliminate barriers to health care." One of the barriers, Washington Post contributor Jonathan Capehart suggested, included the multiple bills and laws throughout the country prohibiting gender treatments for minors.
"Well, it is very challenging for health equity for the LGBTQI+ community, and these politically and ideologically motivated laws and actions are harming youth, particularly transgender youth, their families, and even their providers who are under siege in many parts of this country," Levine said.
Levine continued, "And they're really interfering with the relationship between expert physicians, for instance, at children's hospitals, these young people and their families. And it's not where government belongs."
Despite new laws and challenges from Republican lawmakers, the assistant secretary remained optimistic about the "changing narrative" surrounding transgender care.
"I think things are changing. I think that since Transgender Day of Visibility and now the momentum we've developed at Pride, I think that the conversation is changing. I think the narrative is changing, focusing on these vulnerable youth and their families and their doctors. And I think with Pride Month just finishing up this week that we are going to continue that, to change that narrative, and continue to make progress," Levine said.
In a video posted on the official HHS Instagram account on Monday, Levine suggested that Pride Month continue past June saying, "Happy Pride! Happy Pride Month, and actually — let’s declare it a summer of Pride. Happy Summer of Pride."
This video followed a previous tweet from Levine’s personal account on June 21 reading, "Today officially marks the 1st Day of Summer. All summer long we will be celebrating the ‘Summer of Pride.’ I see it as an opportunity for change in our communities, states & nation. It will take us all, but together we can create a wave of change. Let the 'Summer of Pride' begin!"
Levine tripled down on the idea to Capehart later at the event.
"That's why I've said this should be a summer of Pride. We should have Pride all summer, which means that we need to continue these discussions. We need to continue to change the narrative about health equity and about families and about these young people so that we can get past this very challenging stage and continue the progress that we had been making before," Levine said.
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Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, has advocated for "gender-affirming care" and previously pledged the "highest support" of the Biden administration to ensure minors have access to hormone treatments and sex-change surgeries in states across the country.
