Democrats have condemned a decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to change the official portrait of former Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, replacing her legal name with her birth name.
Levine, confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first transgender-identifying individual to serve in Biden’s administration, now appears on HHS materials using her biological name, Richard Levine.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated the change was made to align with “gold-standard science,” adding that the department remains committed to reversing policies enacted by Levine and ensuring “biological reality” guides public health approaches.
Levine’s spokesperson, Adrian Shanker, characterized the move as “petty” and bigoted, alleging that during a federal shutdown, HHS leadership altered her portrait to remove her legal name and use a prior name. Shanker described it as an act of bigotry against Levine.
Democratic Representative Becca Balint of Vermont criticized the action, stating: “Trump officials are so insecure they even erased Admiral Rachel Levine’s name from her own HHS portrait. Instead of honoring a patriot who is serving this country, they’re busy stoking bigotry, while the rest of America pays the price.”
Levine was a prominent advocate for gender-affirming care, having previously emphasized that “gender-affirming care is medical care. Gender-affirming care is mental health care. Gender-affirming care is literally suicide prevention care.”
