Dr. Rachel Levine, President Biden’s pick to be assistant secretary for health, made historical past on Wednesday by turning into the first openly transgender particular person confirmed by the Senate to a federal place, and instantly vowed to “promote policies that advance the health and well-being of all Americans” and to struggle for transgender youth.

The Senate vote, 52 to 48, adopted a contentious affirmation listening to that grew to become a flash level within the battle over transgender rights. Dr. Levine, a pediatrician and former health secretary in Pennsylvania, will assume her submit on the federal Health and Human Services Department at a difficult time, simply as Mr. Biden is making an attempt to lead the nation out of the coronavirus disaster.

In a press release shared with The New York Times, Dr. Levine stated she was “humbled” by the Senate’s approval and thanked the L.G.B.T.Q. group for its assist.

“As Vice President Harris has said, I recognize that I may be the first, but am heartened by the knowledge that I will not be the last,” she wrote. “When I assume this position, I will stand on the shoulders of those who came before — people we know throughout history and those whose names we will never know because they were forced to live and work in the shadows.”

She stated she needed to deal with transgender youth particularly.

“I know that each and every day you confront many difficult challenges,” she wrote. “Sadly, some of the challenges you face are from people who would seek to use your identity and circumstance as a weapon. It hurts. I know. I cannot promise you that these attacks will immediately cease, but I will do everything I can to support you and advocate for you.”

Two Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, crossed celebration strains to vote for Dr. Levine.

At her affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate Health Committee, Dr. Levine was the subject of a tirade by Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, who likened intercourse reassignment surgical procedure to “genital mutilation” and demanded to know whether or not she supported such procedures for minors.

Her response — that transgender medication is “a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care” — drew plaudits from Democrats who praised her for sustaining her calm, however criticism from conservatives who accused her of being evasive.

In a current interview, Roger Severino, a champion of social conservative causes who ran the Health and Human Services Department’s civil rights workplace beneath President Donald J. Trump and met with Dr. Levine when contemplating whether or not to roll again transgender protections, referred to as her a “divisive pick that goes contrary to President Biden’s promise of unity.”

But advocates for the L.G.B.T.Q. group have been elated on Wednesday.

“At a time when hateful politicians are weaponizing trans lives for their own perceived political gain, Dr. Levine’s confirmation lends focus to the contributions trans people make to our nation and deflates absurd arguments calling for their exclusion,” stated Annise Parker, a former mayor of Houston who now runs the L.G.B.T.Q. Victory Institute, which trains L.G.B.T.Q. individuals to run for public workplace.