HHS alters Rachel Levine portrait name
HHS confirmed it changed the official portrait label of former Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel L. Levine at its Washington headquarters to display her previous name during the recent federal shutdown. In a statement to NPR, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the department aims to ensure information reflects 'gold standard science' and committed to 'reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine' and to having 'biological reality' guide public health, while an HHS staffer criticized the move as disrespectful and Levine declined to engage beyond noting her service.
📌 Key Facts
- HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the portrait label change and issued a policy-framing statement.
- The change occurred during the federal shutdown at the HHS Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C.
- Levine’s spokesperson called the change an act of bigotry; an HHS staff member called it 'disrespectful.'
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 1.3% of U.S. adults identify as transgender, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.
LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3% — Gallup News
In 2022, around 80% of transgender people in the United States had considered suicide, while around 40% had attempted suicide, compared to a general population lifetime attempt rate of about 4.6%.
Trans suicide rate U.S. 2022 — Statista
Transgender people made up 2% (671) of new HIV diagnoses in the US in recent data, while comprising about 0.3% of the population.
Two-thirds of U.S. adults favor laws and policies that require transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey.
On policies restricting trans people, Americans have become more supportive of restrictions in recent years — Pew Research Center
In a study of transgender and gender-diverse people, rates of detransition were 11% for transgender women and 4% for transgender men, with common reasons including pressure from parents.
Detransition Among Transgender and Gender-Diverse People—An Increasing and Increasingly Complex Phenomenon — Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism