Fox’s new host Tucker Carlson On Tuesday night, he launched a transphobic attack on General Rachel Levine, questioning why the top U.S. transgender official was commended as a “woman of the year,” and called her a “fake admiral.” ..
Carlson’s segment came after USA Today dubbed Levine One of the women of the year COVID-19 For her role during the pandemic. Other winners included Melinda French Gates and Simone Biles. Levine, a doctor, is an assistant secretary to the Department of Health and Human Services, Ministry of Health and Human Services, and leads a group of 6,000 uniformed public health officers. She swore in October as a four-star Admiral of the Public Health Service Commission, and was the only sixth person in the history of the corps to be so nominated.
Levine is also the first female 4-star Admiral and the first openly transgender 4-star Admiral. Welcomed by civil rights groups And the honor of USA Today.
Carlson and his guest Candace Owens objected.
“”“A biological man called Rachel Levine is at the top of the list,” the host declared Tuesday, “Levine is said to be a fake admiral and a woman.”
“If Rachel Levine can declare’I’m a woman’, why can’t I declare myself a Samoan and demand that you respect me?” He continued. “Why can’t I be what I want to be?”
False comparisons influence the transphobic metaphor and perpetuate myths about transgender people. Intentional misgender can also harm transgender people and create a dangerous environment.
Fox News did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Carlson’s comment.
Carlson once accused Levine of being “engaged” by the Biden administration’s recognition of her long career as a civil servant.
“It’s ridiculous. I’m sorry, I’m not playing with you,” the Fox News host said in October. “But they don’t think so. So you have to ask yourself, how long does it take Joe Biden to appoint his horse to the Supreme Court?”
Levine told USA Today this week that her philosophy throughout her career is simply “to help compassion and service to others,” and everything she did before the pandemic helped the country. He added that he felt connected at this moment. This biggest public health crisis we have faced for over 100 years. “
“You have to be honest with yourself, and I think you need to be yourself,” she told the newspaper when asked about her own journey of self-acceptance. .. “Who are you, regardless of who you are, who you are, who you are, your gender identity, sexual orientation, or anything else. It has tremendous value on its own, and everything else follows. “
This article was originally HuffPost It has been updated.