The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, bishop of the dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York writes about the scapegoating of the Pennsylvania secretary of health, a transgender woman. Go Erie says Dr. Rachel Levine, M.D., “has been subject to an endless stream of mockery and abuse.”
Scapegoating Dr. Levine won’t end the pandemic
I thought about scapegoats Thursday when I saw news reports about a business owner in Waterford who had posted a sign along Route 19 disparaging Dr. Rachel Levine, the state’s secretary of health, who is a transgender woman. If you are looking for a scapegoat — someone you can blame for the restrictions that responsible state leaders across the country have instituted to keep people safe during a deadly pandemic — she is an easy target.





I am glad Sean did that.
One of Sean’s early mentors was a lesbian priest who was not out. I am confident, but not certain, that he knew of her situation. So when Sean tried to table resolutions on marriage equality at GC a few years back, I was outraged and told him so via email.
Predictably enough, I didn’t get the courtesy of a response. But I am glad that Sean now is taking a more principled approach.
Dr. Rachel Levine deserves support for the courageous and difficult stands she is taking, seeking to keep millions of Pennsylvanians healthy and safe.