Dr. Rachel Levine becomes first out Trans person to be Senate-confirmed
After battling a very controversial and transphobic confirmation hearing in February, Dr. Rachel Levine has now made history as the first out trans person to be Senate-confirmed for a position in the federal government.
Nominated by President Joe Biden to be the assistant secretary of health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Levine now joins Pete Buttigieg — the first Senate-confirmed out Cabinet member — in being confirmed. Both follow in a trail first ignited by Roberta Achtenberg who was the first out LGBTQ+ person ever confirmed by the Senate.
“Dr. Rachel Levine is a trailblazer,” Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, said in a statement the day of Levine’s hearing. “She is the first openly transgender person nominated to a role requiring Senate confirmation. She is a talented doctor, with the leadership skills and expertise needed to help guide our country through the pandemic into healthier, brighter days.
Uritus continued: “I hope that transgender people — from those well into their careers to young people years from having a job — can look at Dr. Levine and see the possibility she represents. I look forward to seeing her skills in action at the federal level!”
As a Harvard graduate and the first unanimously confirmed physician general of Pennsylvania in 2015 by a Republican-controlled Senate, Levine has long been a respected public figure. She was previously the Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and has become a leader in the state’s response to the ongoing global pandemic. She began her medical career as a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
“Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond,” Biden said in his nomination statement.
“She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts.”
