The Biden administration has recently shifted its position on a contentious issue, announcing that it no longer supports transgender surgeries for minors. This change comes after years of seeming endorsement of such procedures. “The administration does not support surgery for minors,” a White House spokesperson stated to Fox News on Wednesday.
This reversal has sparked speculation that it aims to divert attention from a recent controversy involving a high-ranking transgender official in the administration. Reports have surfaced that Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, had allegedly pressured the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove age requirements for transgender surgeries.
According to The New York Times, emails from WPATH members reveal that Levine’s team urged the organization to exclude specific age limits from its guidelines. In one email, Sarah Boateng, then Levine’s chief of staff, expressed concerns about including age limits, citing potential legislative backlash. This pressure reportedly led to the final 2022 WPATH guidelines not containing any age restrictions for procedures like hysterectomies and breast augmentations, contrasting with earlier drafts.
Critics of the Biden administration argue that Levine’s influence over WPATH’s guidelines reflects broader issues with the administration’s stance on transgender care. Levine, known for controversial views on topics like puberty and climate change, has been a polarizing figure. Her involvement in removing age limits for transgender surgeries has drawn significant criticism.
The administration’s latest statement contradicts the stance held by many progressive Democrats and even President Joe Biden himself. The president has previously criticized state efforts to ban transgender surgeries for minors and investigate families seeking such treatments. In March 2022, Biden condemned Texas officials for opening child abuse investigations into families providing gender-affirming care, calling it “government overreach at its worst.”
The president emphasized the importance of affirming a transgender child’s identity, suggesting that it is one of the best ways to prevent harm. He argued that parents who support their transgender children should be applauded, not stigmatized or investigated.
However, the White House’s recent announcement has prompted critics to call for consistent policy changes. They argue that if the administration genuinely opposes surgeries for minors, it should support future legislative bans on such procedures.
