Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health in the Biden-Harris administration and the first out transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate, said the outcry about President Joe Biden's recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter was "manufactured."
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In a conversation with The Advocate to mark the day, Levine shared insights into the multifaceted aspects of her role, the critical nature of transgender visibility, and the administration’s wide-reaching efforts in public health and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
“I felt that it was faux outrage,” she said. "It was manufactured.” She emphasized the non-conflict between the observance of TDOV and the Christian holiday of Easter and highlighted the unfortunate politicization of the calendar coincidence.
The controversy surrounding TDOV this year, which happened to fall on Easter Sunday, sparked drama and highlighted the polarization surrounding transgender issues in the United States. The backlash was spearheaded by conservative politicians, pundits, and media outlets, who framed the Biden administration’s recognition of TDOV as an attempt to undermine or overshadow the Christian celebration of Easter. This portrayal was amplified across social media and conservative news platforms, igniting a flurry of accusations and misinformation.
Critics argued that the administration’s acknowledgment of TDOV on a Christian holy day was a deliberate affront to religious communities. This fabricated controversy overlooked the simple coincidence of the calendar — TDOV is observed annually on March 31, a fixed date established without consideration of religious holidays, of which some naturally shift each year based on the lunar calendar.
“It’s just that this Sunday was Easter, which is a very important holiday and very important event, and it also just happened to be the 31st,” Levine explained.
Opening up about the personal attacks directed at her, notably from right-wing commentators, Levine spoke to the resilience such adversity has fostered within her. Despite facing frequent online harassment — she’s a favorite target of extremists like Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik — Levine remains steadfast.
“The more I’m attacked, the more it motivates me to work harder and to advocate more,” she said.
Amid professional and public challenges, Levine revealed the crucial support system that sustains her: her loved ones.
“I am able to compartmentalize any feelings I have and then work them out myself and with my friends and my family,” Levine said.
Levine also encouraged and supported those in the transgender community who might be apprehensive about increasing their visibility. Understanding the fears associated with public exposure, she said, “I see them, I hear them, and I support them.”
Throughout the interview, Levine discussed critical achievements of the Biden administration in public health, particularly emphasizing initiatives like the U=U (Undetectable Equals Untransmittable) campaign and combating the resurgence of syphilis.
Levine emphasized the necessity of health equity and the importance of addressing the needs of the transgender and nonbinary community within the broader context of public health, noting that “everything is a team effort at [the Department of Health and Human Services] in the administration. So, nothing that we do is achieved alone.”
She explained that this ethos of teamwork and collective effort is a cornerstone of the administration’s strategy for tackling the nation’s myriad health challenges.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Levine also addressed the evolution of societal acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, paralleling past shifts in perception towards the gay community with the current visibility and challenges faced by transgender and nonbinary people.
“I think that there are two things going on. One is the importance of education about the transgender and nonbinary community,” she said with a smile growing on her face.
“You know there’s a quote from Yoda — not Baby Yoda, that’s new,” she said. “‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering,” she quoted. Levine underscored the critical role of education and visibility in dispelling fear and fostering a deeper understanding of the transgender experience, a task she sees as vital for societal progress.
The health expert expressed optimism for the future, grounded in a belief in the inevitability of social change and the importance of advocacy, particularly in supporting vulnerable members of the transgender community. “I think that the wheel will turn on that,” she said. “I think that things will get better. And I think that things for transgender and nonbinary people will improve.”
Levine said she hoped that those who don’t think they know a transgender person consider their humanity.
“You might question many things in your life,” she said. “You might question your family, you might question your school, might question your job, you might question many different things, but you don’t question your gender. It’s a fixed star in your universe for most people. But there’s a group of people, of which I am proudly one, where that has not been the issue. I’ve always questioned my gender. It never felt right from my earliest memories. And so I think that that’s a common theme for most, if not for many transgender and nonbinary people.”
She added, “This is not a social contagion phenomenon, and we’ve been around forever, hiding in the closet. So the ability in our society now is not to be in the closet. We need to foster that and to nurture that.”
