Senator Rand Paul questions Rachel Levine about puberty blockers

Gosh just had a look on Twitter. Does no one on "the left" in USA engage in critical though or give a fuck about vulnerable children?

Nice to see that the evidence based approach we are taking in this country is being picked up in the US. What happens here may be so important in reversing this madness.

I have no idea who Rand Paul is, but I don't see how anyone could watch that video and think he was anything but utterly reasonable and correct, and that Rachel Levine was anything but evasive and uncaring.

What a disgrace this medic is. Biden has lost his mind.

How have we got to this point where middle aged adult males, most of whom have no genital surgery can push drugs and surgery onto children without question.

Why are people so fucking afraid to say no to a minority pushing an Ideological belief based on unprovable feelings.

I don't know anything about Rand Paul other than this vid and the female sports one, but how could ANYONE listen to that and not think, why the fuck is this being allowed to happen to children all to push an adult agenda?

What Duncan said:

As we've seen in the UK and as we are seeing even more in the USA making TRA ideology& women's rights s party political or left wing:right wing issue is really really unhelpful and divisive. And it turns out it's total rubbish to.

In America this perceived political divide is going to cause a lot of people a lot of problems though.

Those committed to transing children are really doubling down.

What exactly is it that you dislike about him?

He's a fucking loon in many respects - climate change sceptic, militantly anti-abortion, agrees that Trump won the election, supports a load of weirdo conspiracy theorists. I can't think of an exact UK equivalent - maybe imagine the love child of Nigel Farage and David Icke.

OTOH he is a lot more reasonable on immigration and the treatment of immigrants than most Trumpers. And, it would appear he is capable of rational thought on transitioning kids too.

I dont know who this guy is really. I cant judge where it came from or whether ir not I'd agree with him on anything else.

But in this instance he asked reasonable and very important questions. Questions that were very clearly evaded.

If there is to be an argument about whether or not he had a point . Twice. it might be advisable to answer with a counter point first.

Do children understand and are capable of consenting to puberty blockers and sex hormones that are prescribed off licence

Levine did not answer twice

Levine. Refused to answer as to whether minor children could consent to having their breasts cut off and their genitals changed twice

The point of the questions was about minors

Levine refused to answer twice when asked twice

If you are honest would you say that judgment is based on political allegiance, rather than on the basis of his questioning?

Fair enough, I don't suppose me and Rand Paul would see eye to eye on much. This seemed like fairly rigorous evidence-based scrutiny to me. But then you will see headlines attached to stories like this screeching about "disgusting" and "abhorrent" views.

While I have become more comfortable with the idea of the strange bedfellows you can end up with on this issue, I still struggle with wondering what it is I'm not seeing when other people are so hurt and offended by supposed 'transphobia'.

I'll be interested to see if Levine says anything after the fact, as she completely missed the most effective opportunity she had to take Paul to task if she thought he was wrong.

I don't know a lot about him other than he is of the libertarian right rather than the religious right.

I do remember reading this last summer during the BLM protests. It appears that he listened somewhat on this issue and tried to do what he felt was right.

(unless I'm missing the bigger picture here and this was some sneaky political move I don't understand)

edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/rand-paul-bill-no-knock-warrants-breonna-taylor/index.html

"After talking with Breonna Taylor's family, I've come to the conclusion that it's long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants," Paul, a Republican, said in a statement. "This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States."

Rand Paul is a doctor, albeit an ophthalmologist, so I imagine he’s coming at it from a perspective of understanding the realities of what puberty blockers do and an ability to appraise the lack of evidence for their use.

It seems to many it’s more important that it’s the “wrong” person asking the right question. The problem is as soon as the “right” person asks the right question they immediately become the “wrong” person, and too many “right” persons are happy to ask the wrong questions to make sure it doesn’t happen to them.

Only time I think I've agreed with exactly what Rand Paul said.

For him, his stance on the issue could well come from that kind of place unfortunately

If you are honest would you say that judgment is based on political allegiance, rather than on the basis of his questioning?

Have to say i wish a British politician would pose direct and tough questioning such as that.

I dislike him immensely

Interestingly I have seen him 'perform' twice now and both times he has seemed utterly reasonable, even if determined......I'm British by the way, so have no prior prejudice on the basis of party politics

What exactly is it that you dislike about him?

A lot of Twitterverse crowing that his line of questioning was transphobic. For him, his stance on the issue could well come from that kind of place unfortunately. But Levine had the platform here to directly call that out, defend her line, argue her case, educate us all... and just ended up looking shifty as hell.

Go Rand Paul!

Has a British politician stood up and made such points?

I thought something had gone wrong with the video then realised it was Levine repeating her answer. How can anyone put that person in charge of health!

Well that’s really odd. What a response, why the insistence on a private chat?

I dislike him immensely. And I know the TRA line is that we are all right wing Stepford Wives.

But it's not about right and left anymore. I can still despise Rand Paul and be pleased this conversation is getting some airing in the legislature.

I no longer think of politics and politicians as left or right but truthful or not.

Well done Sen Rand.