The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has officially rolled out its new gender pronoun mandate, which a Heritage Foundation legal expert promptly called "Orwellian," a clear violation of employees' constitutional rights, and then some.
Roger Severino, Heritage's vice president for domestic policy and the former head of civil rights during the Trump administration, slammed the new mandate as promoting "falsehoods."
HHS and the federal government is [sic] requiring its [sic] employees to speak falsehoods. These policies would require all of those things,
All employees should be addressed [by] the names and pronouns they use to describe themselves," the email to HHS employees stated as part of its push for "Gender Identity and Non-Discrimination Guidance" that it says protects "employee rights and protections related to gender identity."
Before we continue, lest you forget, Admiral Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for the HHS, is a devoted "transgender" who proudly wears her beliefs about all things LGBTQI+ on her sleeve. Here "she" was on October 4, lauding LGBTQI+ History Month.
— ADM Rachel Levine (@HHS_ASH) October 4, 2023
My point here is it's logical that HHS, with Levine at the helm, would naturally spearhead all things LGBTQI+ for the more-than-avid Biden administration.
News of the new HHS mandate began to circulate in early October after an internal newsletter was sent to all employees, reading in part: "All employees should be addressed [by] the names and pronouns they use to describe themselves."
In an unlisted YouTube video linked in the email, HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm told employees the mandate ensures “that our colleagues are able to show up every day as their whole selves.”
I want to say clearly to every one of you: Who you are and who you know yourself to be is valid. We want you to be your authentic self every day, regardless of your gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability status.
According to the email, Levin — described in the email as a "loud and proud woman" —made "her" stance crystal clear:
All supervisors and managers are responsible for helping to ensure it is fully implemented across all [operating divisions] and [staff divisions].
Servino said the mandate also relates to HHS bathrooms and locker rooms.
Men who identify as female have the right to get naked in front of female colleagues in the locker rooms. It used to be that if you allowed a man to get naked in front of a woman in the workplace that is instantly a violation of civil rights law.
That's the quintessential hostile work environment, subjecting women to that. Now, the policy says to the women who may be uncomfortable with that situation, they're the ones who have to leave.
Were it not so obscenely insane, the mindblowing irony would be laughable.
The Democrat Party — the long-self-proclaimed "champion of women's rights" — now champions this kind of disgusting behavior (along with male athletes kicking the hell out of female athletes in female sporting events, of course). Ain't that somethin'?
Twilight Zone stuff, America.
But Is It Illegal?
Severino believes it is, and blatantly so:
Governments cannot compel speech and certainly cannot compel false speech. We protect the right of political dissent and here it's a pledge of allegiance to the Rainbow flag that's been essentially required.
Team Biden, of course, believes otherwise.
So What Are HHS Employees' Options?
According to Servino, dissenting HHS employees are "faced with a horrible dilemma."
Do they hope that they can fly under the radar and try to avoid the issue and keep a low profile and perhaps hide their faith so they can keep their job, or do they stand up and say this policy is wrong and fight for their rights? And then see a gigantic target on their back after that?
What's the old saying? "When right is wrong, and wrong is right."? Yeah, that one.
