Historic Appointment and Recognition
Breaking Barriers in Federal Leadership
HHS Admiral Rachel Levine made history as the first openly transgender person to receive Senate confirmation for a federal position. Serving as President Biden’s Assistant Secretary for Health, she held a prestigious four-star admiral position leading the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Her official portrait has been displayed in a hallway on the seventh floor of the Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C., since shortly after her confirmation in 2021. This corridor features photographic portraits of all former leaders of the Public Health Corps, with Levine’s being the only portrait of a transgender person among the distinguished gallery of public health officials.
The Portrait Alteration Controversy
Unauthorized Name Change
An HHS spokesperson confirmed to NPR that Levine’s official portrait was recently altered. A digital photograph obtained by NPR reveals that her previous name—commonly referred to as a “deadname” in transgender communities—has been typed below the portrait under the glass of the frame, replacing her current legal name.
Timing of the Modification
According to Adrian Shanker, former deputy assistant secretary for health policy in the Biden administration who worked alongside Levine and now serves as her spokesperson, the change occurred during the federal shutdown. He states that “the current leadership of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health changed Admiral Levine’s photo to remove her current legal name and use a prior name.”
Admiral Levine’s Response to the Change
Dignified Reaction
When contacted by NPR about the alteration, Admiral Levine maintained a professional stance. She stated it was “an honor to serve the American people as the assistant secretary for health” and declined to “comment on this type of petty action.”
Spokesperson’s Strong Condemnation
Adrian Shanker characterized the portrait modification as an explicit “act of bigotry against her.” His statement emphasizes the discriminatory nature of deadnaming—the practice of referring to a transgender person by their birth name rather than their chosen name—which is widely recognized as disrespectful and harmful within LGBTQ+ communities and medical professional organizations.
Official HHS Statement and Justification
Department’s Defense
NPR inquired about who authorized the change and the reasoning behind it. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon provided a statement that avoided directly addressing the alteration: “Our priority is ensuring that the information presented internally and externally by HHS reflects gold standard science. We remain committed to reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine and ensuring that biological reality guides our approach to public health.”
New Leadership
The current Assistant Secretary for Health is Admiral Brian Christine, a urologist from Alabama who received Senate confirmation in October. The statement from HHS did not specify whether Christine personally authorized the portrait alteration or if it came from other departmental leadership.
Broader Context of Transgender Policy Reversals
Campaign Targeting
During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Trump and Republican candidates invested millions in anti-transgender advertising, with some advertisements specifically featuring Admiral Levine’s image. This targeted messaging established a political framework that has continued into policy implementation.
Systematic Federal Changes
Since assuming office, the Trump administration has implemented comprehensive measures to curtail rights for transgender and intersex individuals across multiple federal agencies:
Department of Defense: Transgender servicemembers faced forced removal from military service without benefits
Department of State: Decades-old passport policies allowing gender marker changes were reversed
Department of Justice: Various civil rights protections have been challenged or eliminated
Department of Education: Guidance on transgender student protections has been withdrawn
Internal Employee Reactions
An HHS staff member, speaking anonymously due to fear of professional retaliation, called the portrait modification “disrespectful” and stated it exemplifies “the erasure of transgender individuals by this administration.” This internal perspective reveals concerns among career federal employees about the current policy direction.
Unprecedented Action Against Former Official
Historical Context
Adrian Shanker emphasizes that altering a former official’s portrait in this manner is unprecedented in the history of federal government buildings. Official portraits traditionally remain unchanged as historical records of service, regardless of subsequent political shifts or policy disagreements.
Call for Focus on Public Health
Rather than engaging in what Shanker describes as vindictive actions, he suggests current HHS leadership should concentrate on addressing the numerous public health challenges confronting the American people, including ongoing concerns about infectious diseases, substance abuse, and healthcare access.
Legacy of Public Health Leadership
Admiral Levine’s Accomplishments
During her tenure as Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Levine focused on critical public health initiatives including:
- COVID-19 pandemic response and vaccination campaigns
- Syphilis prevention and treatment programs
- HIV/AIDS awareness and intervention strategies
- Opioid crisis response and harm reduction efforts
These initiatives represent significant federal public health priorities that required coordinated responses across multiple agencies and stakeholder groups. Admiral Levine’s leadership during this period addressed some of the most pressing health challenges facing American communities.
The Question of Respect
The portrait alteration raises fundamental questions about how federal institutions honor the service of officials who have completed their tenure, particularly when political winds shift. The unprecedented nature of this action, combined with its specific targeting of a transgender official’s identity, has sparked debate about dignity, respect, and the appropriate boundaries of political disagreement in institutional settings.
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