townhall.com By Byron York
One way to shut down debate on a contentious subject is to declare that there is no debate on the subject. Everyone, absolutely everyone, agrees with one side, so why are you even trying to argue? It’s settled.
The Biden administration is doing that now on what officials call “gender-affirming care” for young people who believe they are transgender. “There is no argument among medical professionals — pediatricians, pediatric endocrinologists, adolescent medicine physicians, adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. — about the value and the importance of gender-affirming care,” Dr. Rachel Levine, who, as U.S. assistant secretary for health, is the highest-ranking transgender person in the administration, told National Public Radio Friday. The next day, Levine made the case in a speech at the “Out for Health” conference at Texas Christian University.
A month earlier, to observe “International Transgender Day of Visibility,” Levine’s agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, released an information sheet on “gender-affirming care” for youth. “For transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents, early gender-affirming care is crucial to overall health and well-being as it allows the child or adolescent to focus on social transitions and can increase their confidence while navigating the health care system,” the department said.
