Friday for Effect

6 February 2026

That’s No Lady!

Okay, this first story actually broke a couple of months ago, and I only stumbled upon it this week. However, it’s not a bad lead-in for what follows.

Former Assistant HHS Secretary, Admiral Richard (“Rachel") Levine

It turns out that, back in December, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) replaced the name that appeared beneath the portrait of Biden’s Assistant HHS Secretary, Admiral Rachel Levine, with his original, biological name — the name that his parents gave him at birth, Richard.

Democrats and trans advocates went apeshit.

“During the federal shutdown, the current leadership of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health changed Admiral Levine’s photo to remove her current legal name and use a prior name,” Levine spokesperson Adrian Shanker told NPR.

Shanker went on say it was an act “of bigotry against her.”

Other Democrats condemned the decision, as well.

“Trump officials are so insecure they even erased Admiral Rachel Levine’s name from her own HHS portrait,” Vermont Democrat Rep. Becca Balint posted to X.

“Instead of honoring a patriot who is serving this country, they’re busy stoking bigotry, while the rest of America pays the price,” Balint added.

I’m a bit unclear as to what “price” anyone is paying for that. It didn’t cost me nothin’.