The US assistant secretary for health has been sworn in as the first transgender four-star officer in the country’s history. Dr Rachel Levine, 63, is now an admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Dr Levine, appointed by President Joe Biden, is already the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the US.  She described the occasion as “momentous” and “historic” during a swearing-in speech on Tuesday. “May this appointment today be the first of many more to come, as we create a diverse and more inclusive future,” she said in a speech that paid tribute to other LGBTQ individuals who came before her. Dr Levine is a graduate of Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine and previously worked as a paediatrician. The US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has about 6,000 uniformed officers and is tasked with responding to health crises like the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters.(BBC)…[+]