The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services quietly altered the official portrait of Admiral Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person confirmed to a four-star federal position, replacing her legal name with her deadname and digitalizing her picture. The portrait, which had hung alongside previous Public Health Service leaders, had been a visible symbol of historic representation in federal leadership.

Critics say the change, though small in appearance, amounts to institutional erasure. Former HHS staff and advocates describe it as a stark reminder that transgender visibility remains politically contested. One former deputy called the action an act of pettiness and bigotry, emphasizing the symbolic weight of removing a leader’s chosen name from an official federal display.

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