In a significant policy shift, the Biden administration has announced that it no longer supports transgender surgeries for minors. “The administration does not support surgery for minors,” a White House spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday, marking a stark departure from the administration’s previous stance.
This announcement follows revelations that Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health, had allegedly influenced the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove age limits for transgender surgeries. Emails obtained by The New York Times suggest that Levine’s team urged WPATH to eliminate specific age restrictions from its guidelines. In one email, Levine’s former chief of staff, Sarah Boateng, conveyed concerns about including age limits, warning it could lead to harmful legislation for transgender care.
Levine, a transgender woman, has been at the center of several controversies, including questioning the significance of puberty and advocating for gender-neutral terms. Her role in the removal of age limits from WPATH guidelines has fueled criticism from those who see it as an overreach.
The administration’s new stance on transgender surgeries for minors puts it at odds with many progressive Democrats and President Joe Biden’s previous comments. Biden has vocally opposed state efforts to ban transgender surgeries for minors and investigate families seeking such treatments. In March 2022, Biden criticized Texas officials for opening child abuse investigations into families providing gender-affirming care, calling such actions “terrifying” and an example of “government overreach.”
Biden has consistently emphasized the importance of supporting transgender children. He argued that affirming a transgender child’s identity is crucial to preventing harm and should be supported by parents, teachers, and doctors alike. This stance was highlighted during a debate in which Biden defended the rights and dignity of transgender children and their families.
However, the recent announcement has led to skepticism among critics who argue that the administration’s shift may be politically motivated. They contend that if the administration truly opposes transgender surgeries for minors, it should support legislative efforts to ban such procedures. This reversal raises questions about the consistency and sincerity of the administration’s policies on transgender issues.
The Biden administration now faces the challenge of aligning its new stance with its previous advocacy for transgender rights, particularly in light of the influence Levine had on WPATH’s guidelines.
