ADMIRAL RACHEL LEVINE SPEAKS TO PENN STATE DICKINSON LAW STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY ON INTERNATIONAL TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
April 2025 — On International Transgender Day of Visibility, held on March 31, Penn State Dickinson Law’s OutLaw chapter and Health Law & Policy Society hosted a conversation with Admiral Rachel Levine, the former Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Pennsylvania’s former Secretary of Health. The Zoom event at the Carlisle location was well attended by members of the Penn State Dickinson Law community, including students and staff and faculty members, with Visiting Professor of Law Emily Spottswood facilitating the conversation.
Levine rose to prominence within Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering daily updates on the virus to the public. Her no-nonsense demeanor and reminders to “stay calm, stay home, and stay safe” calmed residents looking for reassurance during uncertain times.
When President Joe Biden appointed her assistant secretary for health in 2021, she became the first transgender individual to hold an office that required confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
During her introduction of the speaker, Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway recalled listening to the daily COVID briefings. She praised Levine for delivering information vital to administrators in their decision-making.
Spottswood then recognized the significance of welcoming Levine, one of the nation’s few openly transgender federal government officials, on Transgender Day of Visibility. “There has been a long, long history of trans people making really important contributions that so many other people depend on, whether we are talking about computer science, music, or many different fields of academia,” said Spottswood.
Levine opened by highlighting attorneys’ enormous influence on public health as well as her own life, noting that her mother, father, uncle, sister, cousin, niece, and son are all lawyers.
“I have always had an absolutely fantastic relationship with attorneys in my public service and public health career. I listened very carefully to our attorneys. We would always have robust discussions,” said Levine.
She addressed a wide range of topics, from her role as a disseminator of public health information during the pandemic to her work in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. “It has been so important and meaningful to me throughout my career to continue to work to take care of patients with HIV/AIDS,” said Levine. “The treatments we have now are what I would have considered medical miracles in the ’80s so that HIV is a chronic illness and not a death sentence.”
Organizers were thrilled with the engagement shown by attendees and the thoughtful consideration Levine demonstrated as she answered each question.
“I am so happy to have had the opportunity to meet with and learn from Admiral Levine,” said Spottswood. “She is an incredibly inspiring figure who has fought to improve the health of the most vulnerable people in our communities throughout her career, and I hope that her example will give courage to all of our students that even when the times seem daunting, we can, and should, keep working on behalf of those who need our help the most."
‘We are stronger together’
After answering 60 minutes of questions, Levine wrapped up with a call to action. “Trans and nonbinary people are everywhere, but there are not a lot of us, and so it is important for us to stand together,” said Levine. “We are stronger together. We are strong together as a rainbow family, an LGBTQIA+ family, but also with our allies. We are stronger together, and we have to stand together against all pressure, even when it is difficult.”
Students appreciated Levine’s frank answers and her encouragement.
“With the help of Dean Conway and Professor Spottswood, I really enjoyed having the opportunity to welcome Admiral Levine to Penn State Dickinson Law on International Transgender Day of Visibility so that more than 50 students, faculty, and staff could hear Admiral Levine’s story,” said Jake Maguire, president of OutLaw. “I particularly appreciated Admiral Levine’s insights about leadership, inclusion, how lawyers can support the efforts of public health professionals, and how lawyers can partner with members of the transgender and nonbinary community to improve their lives.
“I am also proud of our law school’s longstanding and continued commitment to ensuring that the Fourteenth Amendment's promise of ‘equal protection of the laws’ becomes a reality for everybody.”