In a controversial move that has ignited a fresh political firestorm, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has altered the official portrait of Admiral Rachel Levine, the nation's first openly transgender four-star officer. The portrait now displays her previous name, a change critics are labelling a targeted act of bigotry against the LGBTQ+ community.
The Controversial Alteration and Immediate Backlash
The official portrait of Admiral Rachel Levine was displayed prominently in a hallway on the seventh floor of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, DC, alongside images of former leaders of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. During a recent federal shutdown, the portrait was modified to include her previous name, Richard Levine, below the image.
Adrian Shanker, who served as the deputy assistant secretary for health policy and acts as Levine's spokesperson, confirmed the change. He strongly condemned the action, calling it a deliberate "act of bigotry against her." The alteration is seen as part of a broader effort by the current GOP-influenced leadership to crack down on what they term "woke" culture and policies associated with the previous Biden administration.
When contacted for comment by NPR, Admiral Levine herself took the high road, stating, "It was an honor to serve the American people as the assistant secretary for health and I'm not going to comment on this type of petty action."
Defence from HHS and Levine's Legacy of Service
Defending the decision, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon framed it as a matter of scientific integrity. "Our priority is ensuring that the information presented internally and externally by HHS reflects gold standard science," Nixon said. He added that the department is "committed to reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine and ensuring that biological reality guides our approach to public health."
This defence starkly contrasts with Admiral Levine's substantial record of public service. Confirmed by the Senate in 2021, Levine served for four years as former President Joe Biden's assistant secretary for health. In that role, she oversaw the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and led major initiatives addressing critical health crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, and efforts to combat syphilis and HIV/AIDS.
Her successor, Admiral Brian Christine, was confirmed by the Senate in October of last year.
A Broader Pattern of Anti-Transgender Actions
This incident does not exist in a vacuum. It occurs against a backdrop of ongoing policy shifts affecting transgender rights at the federal level. The current administration has moved to reverse several policies from the previous era, drawing parallels to actions during the Trump administration.
Those earlier actions included banning transgender individuals from serving openly in the military and reversing inclusive passport policies. The portrait alteration is viewed by advocates as a symbolic extension of this pattern, using a federal agency's internal decor to challenge the identity and legacy of a high-profile transgender official.
The debate encapsulates a deep cultural and political divide, pitting claims of "biological reality" against principles of dignity, inclusion, and identity for transgender Americans. As the argument continues, the modified portrait in the Humphrey Building stands as a quiet but potent symbol of this national conflict.
