HHS changes transgender former official Rachel Levine's name on portrait

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The trump administration hates trans and use this doctor's deadname on this doctor's picture.

Disgusting. This is completely unacceptable and a new low for the Trump administration. This should be changed back immediately.

— Ed Markey (@edmarkey.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T02:55:21.656Z

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5640736-hhs-changes-rachel-levine-name

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) changed the name of former Adm. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman who served as the agency’s assistant secretary under former President Biden, to her birth name, or “dead name,” on her official portrait.

HHS confirmed on X Tuesday that the department changed the name during the government shutdown, saying that they wanted to depict “biological reality.”

Adrian Shanker, a former Biden administration deputy assistant for health policy who now is a spokesperson to Levine, called the move from the Trump administration “an act of bigotry against her.”

Rep. Rebecca Balint (D-Vt.) was among the critics who blasted the move online.

“All because they’re all so insecure about their own identities that they have to lash out and continue to fan the flames of these culture wars when Adm. Levine was just doing her job every single day,” Balint said on X.

[Dave Bowman]

1. Biological reality? Give me a f*cking break. 😡

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. This is beyond offensive

The MAGA hatred of transgendered individuals is really sickening

[Ms. Toad]

3. Your legal name is your legal name - it has zero to do with biology or gender.

If I had baby which had a penis, I could name that baby Suzanne, if I felt like it. Same with changing your name later, when you get tired of your name. Just go to court and change it. Generally, as long as you aren't changing your name for fraudulent purposes, you can change it to whatever you want.

In fact, in all but 4 states, you don't even have to go to court to legally change your name - just start using the name by which you wish to be called (again - as long as you aren't doing it for fraudulent purposes). Note: the details may vary by state, and in all cases it is harder to prove a name you have been using without a formal change is actually your legal name.

Trump is an offensive, trans hostile, poor excuse for a human being. In addition, in this case he is also just plain ignorant of the law.

[Prairie Gates]

6. Thank you! I feel like I'm going crazy!

I tried to say the same below, but not as eloquently.

[spanone]

4. Evil fucks.

One and all.

[Prairie Gates]

5. She had her name legally changed

What does that have to do with "biological reality?" I can change my name legally to anything. There's no gendered name requirement for legal documents. This is truly beyond.

Listen, I understand people who refuse to use a pronoun they don't believe. I don't like it and I think they're bigots, but fine, I understand it. But to revert to a name after a legal name change is something else altogether. Are we not allowed to change our names anymore? Seriously, I want a MAGA person to explain this, or even any Republican or conservative or even libertarian.