Paul pressed further. “The specific question was about minors, let’s be a little more specific since you evaded the question,” Paul said. “Do you support the government intervening to override the parent’s consent to give a child puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and/or amputation surgery of breasts and genetalia?

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, during a Senate confirmation hearing, railed against President Joe Biden’s nominee for assistant Health and Human Services secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender health official in Pennsylvania, over Levine’s support for gender reassignment surgery.

“According to the WHO, gender mutilation is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights,” Paul said. “American culture is now normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones to prevent the biological development of their secondary sexual characteristics. … Do you believe that minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?”

Levine gave a non-answer.

“Thank you for your interest in this question. Transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field,” Levine said. “If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as the assistant secretary of health, I will look forward to working with you and your office.”

Paul pressed further. “The specific question was about minors, let’s be a little more specific since you evaded the question,” Paul said. “Do you support the government intervening to override the parent’s consent to give a child puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and/or amputation surgery of breasts and genetalia? You have said that you’re willing to accelerate the protocols for street kids.”

Paul highlighted the story of Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman who read online at a young age about transsexuals and thought that’s what she might be before pursuing gender reassignment medicine she now deeply regrets.

“She ended up getting these puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, she had her breasts amputated,” Paul said, going on to cite Bell’s present anguish over her teenage decision: “‘The rest of my life will be negatively affected,’ she said.”

“What I am alarmed at is that you’re not willing to say absolutely minors shouldn’t be making decisions to amputate their breasts or to amputate their genetalia,” Paul said.

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