Dr. Rachel Levine's testimony before a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday marked the historic first time an openly transgender person had taken part in a confirmation hearing for a presidential appointment, but also featured attacks against transgender youth and implicit animosity to her gender identity.
Levine has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be assistant secretary for health, the number 3 position in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), drawing on right-wing animus toward Levine filling social media, made his views toward a transgender nominee clear by simply stating the phrase "genital mutilation" with an inflection at the start of his questioning. "American culture is down