Texas AG sparks immense backlash after shameless transphobic attack on Dr Rachel Levine
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and US assistant secretary of health Dr Rachel Levine. (Getty/Drew Angerer/YouTube/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has been heavily criticised after deliberately misgendering Dr Rachel Levine on social media.
Paxton sparked immense outrage in February after he called gender-affirming medical care “child abuse” in a non-binding legal opinion. Shortly afterwards, governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate families of trans youth involved in such practices.
Paxton has been met with fierce backlash after he misgendered US assistant secretary of health Dr Levine. Levine was recently named one of USA Today’s “Women of the Year” as she recently became the first openly trans four-star officer admiral in American history.
Paxton shared a screenshot of Levine’s inclusion in USA Today’s list on Twitter, intentionally misgendering her.
Rachel Levine is a man. pic.twitter.com/OWgpKUmfHz
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 17, 2022
His tweet was quickly met with immense backlash from people across the platform, with many expertly roasting the Texas attorney general.
Your transphobia is stunning this morning, sir. pic.twitter.com/Fkgxid8faZ
— Mx. Amanda Jetté Knox (@MavenOfMayhem) March 17, 2022
When someone says, “Could you be more of an asshole,” it is rhetorical and not meant as a challenge. Just an FYI.
— wishfulexpat (@wishfulexpat) March 17, 2022
Ken, don’t make me tap the sign.https://t.co/B6Fml1U7r6
— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) March 17, 2022
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) March 17, 2022
pic.twitter.com/oJse1bb7AR
— Cᵣₐₙₖy Gᵣₐₙdₘa Слава Україні (@BeeHiveKicker) March 17, 2022
Maggots provide useful ecosystem services when they decompose dead animals. Ken Paxton wishes he was so useful.— Max Helmberger ??? (@maxwellidae) March 17, 2022
When they claim they are just “concerned” about “protecting” kids, remember they are lying and they just want us dead. pic.twitter.com/FYWs0cyM6X— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) March 17, 2022
Twitter’s hateful conduct policy strictly prohibits “targeting others with repeated slurs, tropes or other content that intends to dehumanise, degrade or reinforce negative or harmful stereotypes about a protected group”. This includes deliberately misgendering and deadnaming trans people.
As of the time of publication, the tweet is still live on social media, and PinkNews has reached out to Twitter for comment.
A Texas judge ordered on Friday (11 March) that the state temporarily halt investigating parents who provide their trans kids with gender-affirming medical care. Judge Amy Clark Meachum said Abbott’s actions “violate separation of powers by impermissibly encouraging into the legislative domain”.
She added there was a “substantial likelihood” that the plaintiffs in the case would be able to get Abbott’s “unconstitutional” directive overturned.
The injunction will remain in effect until a further trial in July.
Paxton confirmed on Twitter that he had filed an appeal to the recent court order. He argued that the state would take its fight all the way to the Supreme court in order to conduct “necessary investigations” into parents of trans youth in Texas.
He also equated providing gender-affirming surgeries on trans youth to “abuse” and said his office would “fight to protect our Texas children”.
