The Health and Human Services Department has changed the nameplate on a portrait of former Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine from her chosen name back to her birth name, Richard.
According to an HHS spokesperson, the change follows the Biden administration’s designation of Levine as transgender. “Our priority is ensuring that the information presented internally and externally by HHS reflects gold standard science,” the spokesperson stated. The department emphasized its commitment to reversing policies it claims were enacted by Levine and ensuring biological reality guides public health decisions.
A spokesperson for Levine, who previously served in the Biden administration, described the change as an act of bigotry. He indicated that during a federal shutdown, current leadership altered the portrait to remove her legal name and use a prior name.