USA Today names transgender Biden official as one of its ‘Women of the year’

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USA Today included a transgender government official appointed by President Biden in their 2022 "Women of the Year" list. 

Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at Health and Human Services, appeared to be the only transgender woman included in the publication’s list of women they wanted to honor.

USA Today shared their reasons for why each person was selected.

"Every day across our country, USA TODAY’s Women of the Year lead and inspire, promote and fight for equity, give others a place to seek help and find hope. They are strong and resilient women who have been champions of change and courage, often quietly, but with powerful results. And often despite their own challenges. Some of the women may be familiar names. Others may be new to you. Each has an inspiring and powerful story," the editors wrote.

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Before joining the Biden administration, Levine was the Pennsylvania secretary of health. (Joe Hermitt/The Patriot-News via AP)

The media outlet hailed Levine for becoming "the nation's highest-ranking openly transgender official last March when the Senate confirmed her as assistant secretary of health." 

They continued, "Levine has spent her professional life in medicine – as an academic, a clinical researcher, a primary care physician and as Pennsylvania's physical general and secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health – but she admits her current role has proven to be the most challenging."

In a video accompanying Levine's post, USA Today columnist Suzette Hackney celebrated Levine as "a ground-breaking leader who credits family support for helping her succeed." She added, "Admiral Levine wants her work to be a shining example for all."

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The assistant secretary for HHS told Hackney that "everything I've ever done," has "all led to this moment" in leading the fight against COVID-19.

"I really feel that everything I’ve ever done, whether it was in academic medicine, in education, in clinical research, seeing my patients in my role in public health, in Pennsylvania and now my role nationally…has all led to this moment in terms of helping the nation through this greatest public health crisis that we have faced in over a hundred years," Levine told the outlet.

Hackney praised Levine for planning "to meet this moment with courage and integrity."

The Babylon Bee mocked the publication’s decision to include Levine.

Others took issue with the outlet honoring Levine for COVID leadership, when as the Pennsylvania secretary of health she faced a nursing home scandal similar to the one under former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Levine faced scrutiny in May 2020 for moving her mother out of a personal care facility after being notified that residents were testing positive for COVID-19. Just two months before, Levine had ordered recovered COVID patients in hospitals to be sent to nearby nursing homes. More than half of all deaths reported in Pennsylvania came from COVID-19 cases found in nursing homes.

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Twitter has suspended accounts of users who "misgendered" Levine, including Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.

Last week, Levine sat on an all-female panel in a discussion entitled, "A Conversation With HHS Women Leaders to Celebrate Women's History Month."