Transgender Pennsylvania health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine began a news conference on Tuesday by responding to several acts of anti-LGBTQ and transphobic harassment against her, including a recent dunking booth at a state fair.
The Bloomsburg Fair, an annual event held for more than a century and one of the largest of its kind on the east coast, featured a dunking booth in which a man was dressed as Levine. Photos of the dunk tank, which was a benefit for a several fire departments serving communities around Bloomsburg, were posted to the fair's Facebook page.
Trib Live adds: “In June, former Scott Township Commissioner Paul Abel stepped down after he was quoted saying, ‘I tell you, I am tired of listening to a guy dressed up like a woman,' in reference to Levine at a public meeting. Also in June, Trafford Councilman Zack Cole wished Levine a ‘Happy Father's Day' using her birth name on Gov. Tom Wolf's Facebook page. Wolf had wished a happy Father's Day to all Pennsylvania dads. … Cole has refused to resign.”
Levine's statement:
Said Levine: “I want to emphasize that while these individuals may think they are only expressing their displeasure with me, they are in fact hurting the thousands of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians who suffer directly from these current demonstrations of harassment. Your actions perpetuate a spirit of intolerance and discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and specifically transgender individuals.”
