According to internal documents, transgender advocate and Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine exerted pressure on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove recommended minimum ages for medical transition treatments from the Standards of Care Rules, version 8 (SOC-8).
Levine allegedly used a staff member to influence WPATH’s decision-making process, pushing for the removal of age limits to accommodate the Biden administration’s political goals rather than scientific evidence. Internal communications among WPATH members reveal that Levine strongly pressured the organization’s leadership to expedite the development and issuance of SOC-8, citing the need to support the administration’s transgender health agenda.
Emails and internal documents obtained by Cantor show that Levine’s chief of staff, Sarah Boateng, expressed concerns about the section in the Adolescent Chapter of the guidelines that listed specific minimum ages for treatment. Boateng reportedly believed that the inclusion of these ages would lead to “devastating legislation for trans care” and suggested removing the ages and instead publishing an adjunct document that would be less visible.
WPATH, a leading organization focused on transgender healthcare, provides guidance for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. The organization’s internal communications indicate that its development process was influenced by pressure from high-level government appointees, including Levine, to remove age limits and support the administration’s transgender health policies.
