In their 2022 “Women of the Year” list, USA Today has included a transgender government official who was appointed by President Biden.
Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at Health and Human Services, has been included in the publication’s list of honored women.
“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,” said USA Today.
“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 added.
The outlet praised Levine for becoming “the nation’s highest-ranking openly transgender official last March when the Senate confirmed her as assistant secretary of health”.
“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,” they said.
Many took issue with honoring Levine for COVID leadership, when she faced a nursing home scandal as the Pennsylvania secretary of health.
The Babylon Bee mocked the publication’s decision to include Levine, selecting “Levine as its first annual Man of the Year”.
While talking to Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, Candace Owens expressed her frustration with the decision to include Levine. “Whats a woman? I’m confused. I don’t know what a woman is anymore. It is funny and pointedly ridiculous. It gets back to what I always say about progressives which is that they’re always so progressive that they actually just regressive, right?” she said.