Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of just two Republicans who joined every single Democrat in voting on March 24 to confirm transgender man, Rachel Levine, as the Assistant Secretary at the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Murkowski was joined by fellow liberal Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Levine, a biological male who now identifies and dresses as a female, has come under heavy criticism for backing experimental cross-sex hormones for gender confused youth. In 2017, he recommended such intervention for teens, lamenting the fact that some gender confused kids go through the “wrong puberty.” He advocated using powerful sex-reassignment hormones to interrupt the natural process of puberty.
Many conservatives have expressed concern that a so-called “trans woman” activist who champions experimental treatments on gender confused youth should will now oversee controversial transgender policy in the U.S.
As Pennsylvania Health Secretary, Levine has also come under fire for pulling his mom from a nursing home during the COVID outbreak, while telling nursing facilities to admit people who had tested COVID positive.
In February Levine was questioned by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) about his support of “surgical destruction of a minor’s genital mutilation” and hormone blockers.
“Like surgical mutilation, hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics,” Paul said. He noted that the American College of Pediatricians reports that 80-95% of prepubescent children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to medical intervention and social affirmation.
“Dr. Levine do you believe minors are capable of making such a life saving decision as changing one’s sex,” he asked.
Levine completely avoided the question, stating, “Transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed.”
This spurred Paul to refine his question.
“The specific concern is about minors,” Paul said. “Do you support the government intervening to override the parent’s consent to give a child puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and or amputation surgery of breasts and genitalia?”
Levine would not answer the question.
