Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Far-right distorts Dr. Rachel Levine's comments to claim she wants trans children to have 'sex reassignment surgery'

The far-right is attacking Dr. Rachel Levine (again)

Members of the anti-LGBTQ industry are twisting the words of Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine to claim that she is wanting children to harm themselves. Levine is the first trans person confirmed by the Senate to a federal post. Unfortunately a liability of this is that she is a target of every bigot and clout chaser spreading the lie that gender-affirming care is harmful to children. Recently they have been sharing 18 seconds of statements she made to MSNBC about allowing trans children to have gender-affirming care, while adding their own distorted spin: 


As you can see, she did not say anything about children having "sex reassignment surgery."

And this guy is not the only one distorting what she said, as various right-wing headlines show:


No Seriously, They Really Are After Your Kids

 SICK: Biden’s Transgender Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Levine Says We Need to “Empower” Children to go On Puberty Blockers (VIDEO) 

VIDEO: Levine: We need to “empower” kids to go on puberty blockers and get sex reassignment surgery 

 The point is gender-affirming care for trans youth is a complex issue and it doesn't necessary always involve puberty blockers and it certainly doesn't involve far-right fear mongering about "sex reassignment surgery." 

There are numerous credible articles and resources out there which give an accurate view of gender-affirming care for trans youth and how this care actually saves their lives. It's not hard to find.

But the far-right fanatics don't want you to see any of it. They don't want you to even know any of it exists.

Just as in present cases of them accusing LGBTQ people of 'grooming' kids, far-right bigots and clout chasers aren't interested in educating about what's really going because they get more prominence and money from scaring people. They want to conjure anger and exploit general emotion by creating images of children being harmed, whether it be being sexually exploited or supposedly tricked or forced into make decisions about their bodies they will supposedly regret.

None of it is true but as long as they bombard the media with this mess, they think that the truth won't matter.


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