First Openly Trans Nominee Confirmed By Senate, F*ck Youuuuuuuu Rand Paul!

Congratulations, Dr. Rachel Levine!

On Wednesday, the Senate made history by confirming Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She is the first Senate-confirmed openly transgender person, and also the highest ranking openly trans government official in US American history.

The vote was 52-48, because Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins aren't complete bigots. All Republican men, and all the other GOP women, were unable to get over their shit and vote for the supremely qualified nominee, a pediatrician who comes to the position after three years as the secretary of health for the state of Pennsylvania. She was also previously the state's physician general. ( Vox notes that the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania legislature unanimously confirmed her, TWICE.)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reacted:

"The confirmation of Rachel Levine represents another important milestone for the American LGBTQ community," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "As transgender Americans suffer higher rates of abuse, homelessness, and depression than almost every other group, it's important to have national figures like Dr. Levine who by virtue of being in the public spotlight will help break down barriers of ignorance and fear."

Levine's confirmation hearings were marred by the fact that on January 7, 1963, Rand Paul was born, and then a series of unfortunate events ensued for almost 60 years, which landed him in the Senate seat he now possesses, so he could verbally abuse Levine when she came before him as the first openly trans nominee for a Senate-confirmed position.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

Paul looked at the brilliant trans woman in front of him, the woman who's more accomplished as a physician than he'll ever be — she didn't even have to create her own board to certify herself! — and he spewed anti-trans talking points about "genital mutilation," acting like accepted medical treatments for trans individuals are the same as the genital mutilation that happens in backward patriarchal societies to control women's sexuality. And when we say "accepted medical treatments," we mean accepted by the American Academy of Pediatrics , the American Medical Association , the American Psychological Association , the Endocrine Society , the World Professional Association for Transgender Health , the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . Again, the real medical organizations. We suppose Rand Paul's self-created ophthalmology board does not agree.

(That would be Vox's list of links, by the way. If you think we looked those up ourselves, LOL get out of here.)

Paul also attacked Levine for supporting the "surgical destruction of a child's genitalia," because he's a piece of shit.

She just responded to him with science and medicine, like a real doctor, the kind you'd feel safe entrusting your care to. Clearly it wasn't a fair fight.

Jesus Christ. Here's Rand Paul likening transition surgery to "genital mutilation" while questioning Dr. Rachel Le… https: //t.co/qPn8VU5KrI

— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1614269808.0 

That's not all he said. If you want to read it all, check out Vox, but the point is fuck youuuuuuuuuuuu Rand Paul.

Also, the point is that Rachel Levine is pretty badass.

Got that? The point of this post is congratulations to badass Dr. Rachel Levine, the new assistant secretary of health at HHS, and the other point is fuck youuuuuuuuuuuuuu Rand Paul.

Wonkette posts can have more than one point. Occasionally.

[ CNN ]

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