Biden's Rachel Levine declares Summer of Pride
"Secretary Levine pushes summer of pride while we will push Year of LMNOP, Lifestyle of Mainstream Normal Ordinary People," says Eugene Delgaudio, president of Public Advocate.
The highest-ranking openly transgender official in the Biden administration is declaring this summer the "Summer of Pride."
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is a transgender woman, made the announcement from her Twitter account Wednesday. Levine indicated that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be "celebrating" Pride "all summer long."
"I see it as an opportunity for change in our communities, states & nation," Levine wrote. "It will take us all, but together we can create a wave of change. Let the 'Summer of Pride' begin!"
Levine also shared a video from HHS's official Instagram account, seemingly the first in a series of videos to be released throughout the summer.
In the video, Levine spoke with LGBTQ+ activist and musician Ryan Cassata about the "challenges" being faced by transgender individuals in several states "for political purposes." The two agreed that it is "more difficult than ever" to identify as transgender.
Cassata emphasized the need for increased access to sex reassignment procedures for minors, arguing that the "regret rate" for such surgeries is "significantly lower" than that of "general surgeries."
MALE claiming to be woman proclaims Summer of Pride