During portions of an interview with NPR aired on Monday’s “Morning Edition,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine responded to a question on Levine’s prior claims that there isn’t any argument among the health field about gender transitions in light of physicians raising concern about gender transitions by stating that “There is always ongoing research to study any of our medical protocols, and that would include transgender medicine. And we should always have robust discussion and analysis of our treatment protocols” but efforts to ban gender transitions for minors are just motivated by politics.
NPR Health Policy Correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin said, [relevant exchange begins around 2:30] “Levine has been a target in right-wing media, sometimes just for being trans, but also for supporting gender-affirming care. She told NPR in 2022 that, ‘[T]here is no argument among medical professionals about the value and importance of gender-affirming care.’ I asked her to address that in light of physicians, such as British pediatrician Hilary Cass, whose calls for caution in this medical field are cited by lawmakers seeking to ban this care.”
She then played a clip of Levine responding, “There is always ongoing research to study any of our medical protocols, and that would include transgender medicine. And we should always have robust discussion and analysis of our treatment protocols and they need to be based on data.”
Simmons-Duffin then stated, “She differentiates between that process in the medical field and the anti-trans laws that are being passed around the country.” And played a clip of Levine stating, “This is really a politically and ideologically-motivated effort developed by a think tank in Washington in order to attack the LGBTQI+ community, starting with the trans community. And, unfortunately, it has been very successful.”
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