Sen. Rand Paul is under fire by the radical left for questioning Dr. Rachel Levine, President Joe Biden’s nominee for an assistant health secretary position, about her alleged support for giving children puberty blockers and sex-change surgeries. He asked Dr. Levine on the spot whether she believes children are capable of making life-altering decisions that are getting some fierce pushback in the states.
“Dr. Levine you have supported both allowing minors to be given hormone blockers to prevent them from going through puberty, as well as surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia. Like surgical mutilation, hormonal interruption of puberty can permanently alter and prevent secondary sexual characteristics. Do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?” He asked.
Sen. Paul also refers to scientific research that shows 80-95% of confused children grow out of these feelings. While Dr. Levine points out that medicine is a “very complex and nuanced field,” she deterred from his original question and instead promised to visit Paul’s office and discuss the “particulars.”
Sen. Paul reiterated that the specific question was about minors and whether the government supports intervening to override the parent’s consent and give children puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and/or amputation surgery of breasts and genitalia.
“You have said that you’re willing to accelerate the protocols for street kids. I’m alarmed that poor kids with no parents, who are homeless and distraught, you would just go through this and allow that to happen to a minor,” He said.
He also points to a case where 23-year-old Keira Bell is taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic. She was referred to the Tavistock GIDS clinic at the age of 16 where, after three one-hour-long appointments, she was prescribed puberty blockers.
Bell describes being a “tomboy” growing up and using the internet to learn about transitioning and changing her gender identity. She said the ideas of ‘gender dysphoria’ saved her from suicidal ideation and depression in general, noting how many teenagers arrived at the clinic deeply distressed and desperate to change their gender. Other staff members have also raised concerns that teenagers are being given puberty blockers without adequate assessment or psychological work.
“I should have been challenged on the proposals or the claims that I was making for myself. And I think that would have made a big difference as well. If I was just challenged on the things I was saying,” she said.
A lawyer representing Bell argues that children cannot weigh up to the impact of such a treatment and the effects it might have on their future, including fertility. Children as young as 12 have received the drugs, which block the hormones that lead to puberty-related changes like periods or facial hair.
Paul has been labeled “transphobic” and trying to derail Levine with “transphobic misinformation,” when the question at hand was about gender changes for children.
“I guess the danger is, you have to have some chutzpah. You have to have some guts, some courage to stand up because it is a culture out there where … everybody is saying I made transphobic comments yesterday. All I did was ask whether a minor could consent to this kind of dramatic surgery. Nothing I ever said was hateful. I said nothing hateful about these people. I said nothing hateful about adults who choose to do this. But the culture is out there is so strong that so many in office are afraid to speak out. And it’s getting worse,” Sen. Paul said.
Democrats know the questioning had nothing to do with the fact that Levine is a transgender adult and everything to do with a conversation surrounding sex changes in children, but that’s the only thing they know how to do. Play politics.
