“Rachel Levine’s testimony in the U.S. Senate on Thursday marked the historic first time an openly transgender person had taken part in a confirmation hearing for a presidential appointment, but also featured attacks against transgender youth and implicit animosity to her gender identity.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), drawing on right-wing animus toward Levine filling social media, made his views toward a transgender nominee clear by simply stating the phrase “genital mutilation” with an inflection at the start of his questioning…”