Transgender prisoner sues for sex change operation

Wolfe Tone

I read this today...

DILLWYN, Va. — Crouched in her cell, Ophelia De’lonta hoped three green disposable razors from the prison commissary would give her what the Virginia Department of Corrections will not — a sex change.

It had been several years since she had felt the urges, but she had been fighting them for weeks. But like numerous other times, she failed to get rid of what she calls “that thing” between her legs, the last evidence she was born a male.
Months after the October castration attempt, De’lonta filed a federal lawsuit Friday claiming the state has failed its duty to provide adequate medical care because it won’t give her the operation. She says the surgery is needed to treat her gender identity disorder, a mental illness in which people believe they were born the wrong gender.

If she wins, De’lonta would be the nation’s first inmate to receive a state-funded sex change operation. Similar lawsuits have failed in a handful of other states, and lawmakers in some states are trying to ban the use of taxpayer money for the operations.

If she loses, she says she will continue to try self-surgery — acknowledging another attempt could kill her.

“That’s a possibility,” the 50-year-old said during a recent prison interview, pausing then smiling contently. “But at the end I would have peace.”

Some physical changes have already taken place. Hormones won under a 2004 court order have caused her to develop noticeable breasts. Her eyebrows are perfectly plucked, and makeup accentuates her smooth cocoa complexion.

Still, special allowances such as feminine clothing and psychotherapy aren’t enough to keep her mind off wanting to become the woman she says she was born. She longs for permission to grow out her short salt and pepper hair like female inmates, even though she’s housed in the all-male Buckingham Correctional Center.

Experts say that De’lonta’s behavior is an unusual — but not surprising — manifestation of her disorder. At least 12 other inmates in Idaho, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Oregon, Kentucky and North Carolina have castrated themselves over the past 14 years, and several others have tried, said psychiatry professor George R. Brown at East Tennessee State University.

[Loads more tldr, its all here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/va-transgender-inmate-sues-for-sex-change-operation-says-shell-continue-trying-it-herself/2011/06/07/AGLaXvKH_story.html if you are interested.]

De’lonta first tried to cut herself when she was 12. By 17, she was robbing banks with the hopes of getting enough money to have a sex change operation. By 18, she was in prison, sentenced to more than 70 years for robbery, drugs, weapons and other charges.

Basically the person wants a sex change op and wants the state to pay for it, should the state have to pay for operations like that? TBH I think the state has facilitated this particular prisoner enough. Is something like this a "medical necessity" that the state should provide for inmates like it would operations like heart surgery?

Links234

oh dear... this isn't gonna be a fun thread

(braces for impact)

Hank_Jones

Some balls on her.

Bykobap

Oh yeah

El Guapo!

Not a fukn chance in hell

Redlion

Flights to Thailand can't be that expensive!

cesc77

Too much there to rip the p1ss out of.

The world has gone mad.

We pander to the minority of lunitics:(

Where To

By the time I'm 50 I dont think I'll have any interest in sex at all

Chuchoter

I think if the inmate in question is putting themselves in such danger its the prisons responsibility to remove that danger. If that means surgery then so be it, especially considering that it is a recognized condition and all the main bodies say that surgery is the answer. You can't just deny people medical care because you personally don't agree with it.

Wolfe Tone

crayolastereo wrote: »

I think if the inmate in question is putting themselves in such danger its the prisons responsibility to remove that danger. If that means surgery then so be it, especially considering that it is a recognized condition and all the main bodies say that surgery is the answer. You can't just deny people medical care because you personally don't agree with it.

The prisoner could be put on lockdown/suicide watch.

cml387

He just wants a transfer to a ladies prison,the one that has Beyonce and Lady Gaga in it.

Chuchoter

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

The prisoner could be put on lockdown/suicide watch.

That's still denying medical care. It would be akin to taking someones anti-depressants and saying suicide watch does the same job.

mikemac

A 70 years sentance, certainly no nonsense sentencing over there and she got it when she was 18.

Even if she gets the taxpayers to pay for this, she'll be dead before she leaves prison

cesc77

sHes going to get more jiggy than the combined forces of boards.ie:eek:

Wolfe Tone

crayolastereo wrote: »

That's still denying medical care. It would be akin to taking someones anti-depressants and saying suicide watch does the same job.

Is it necessary though? Its not like a heart operation. The prisoner, physically speaking, is perfectly healthy and has survived in current state for a long time.

This person is a dangerous criminal.

qz

crayolastereo wrote: »

I think if the inmate in question is putting themselves in such danger its the prisons responsibility to remove that danger. If that means surgery then so be it, especially considering that it is a recognized condition and all the main bodies say that surgery is the answer. You can't just deny people medical care because you personally don't agree with it.

But if he classifies gender identity disorder as an illness, and he believes that he has this illness, should that not be something to overcome as opposed to succumb to? I don't know, he's just trying to take advantage of his situation to finally get the operation at other people's expense.

Links234

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Basically the person wants a sex change op and wants the state to pay for it, should the state have to pay for operations like that? TBH I think the state has facilitated this particular prisoner enough. Is something like this a "medical necessity" that the state should provide for inmates like it would operations like heart surgery?

Here's the thing, most trans people in America would save up to get the surgery themselves (assuming their health care provider didn't cover that), but while incarcerated and not being able to earn any money, that person is a ward of the state, and the state is responsible for them. Just like if someone was diabetic and incarcerated, they would have their medical needs taken care of by the state. This woman is probably gonna be incarcerated for her entire life, and the state needs to take care of her medical needs too. I've no sympathy for her ending up in prison for robbing banks, she's a ****ing idiot, but if it's medically necessary for her to get surgery, then it would be extremely cruel punishment to deny that.

Chuchoter

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Is it necessary though? Its not like a heart operation. The prisoner, physically speaking, is perfectly healthy and has survived in current state for a long time.

This person is a dangerous criminal.

Read up on transsexualism, every major relevant body (APA etc) will tell you surgery is the solution. They decide that its necessary. The person is a dangerous criminal only because they were too poor to afford the surgery. Even still, there is a level of dignity prisons are required to give their inmates, proper medical care and respecting their identity is a part of that.

Links234

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Is it necessary though?

This is an often referenced study in the UK about the subject, detailing the most efficient treatment for transsexual people and highlighting the dangers of not treating them properly. Go to the chapter "Risks associated with untreated gender dysphoria"

This person is a dangerous criminal.

And she's gonna rot in prison for her crimes. She's not going to end up on the streets if she gets surgery.

Wolfe Tone

Yeah but the prisoner is currently receiving treatment and has survived perfectly fine for decades in jail.

Links234

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Yeah but the prisoner is currently receiving treatment and has survived perfectly fine for decades in jail.

Some people's medical needs change over time.

mikemac

She says the surgery is needed to treat her gender identity disorder, a mental illness in which people believe they were born the wrong gender.

I don't know a lot about the subject but after reading this thread, a person with the condition so would know about is calling it a mental illness.
So I suppose I'll think of it as a mental illness from now on

And you solve mental illness with surgery it seems

Wolfe Tone

The danger here for the prisoner is suicide. IMO the treatment should be the same as it is for other prisoners who are in danger of committing suicide.

Links234

mikemac wrote: »

I don't know a lot about the subject but after reading this thread, a person with the condition so would know about is calling it a mental illness.
So I suppose I'll think of it as a mental illness from now on

And you solve mental illness with surgery it seems

Those are the words of the writer of that article.

And it is not a mental illness, you can have a look here for many links showing different scientific studies on the subject, showing it to be a physical issues.

god lets please not go down this road of "it's a mental illness/it's not a mental illness" again, going round in circles all the time.

My name is URL

They should get the same treatment as anybody else in prison who threatens to self-harm while inside.

CreepingDeath

Prisoners should only get basic treatment, they gave up all their privileges when they attacked society. Especially in this case, where they racked up 70 years of prison sentences.

There's "needs" and "wants" in life, and in recessionary times there has to be a clear distinction between the two.

The Left Hand Of God

provided it is legal in the lowest legal country you can find?


It's all good.



WhOOOhhOOOoo!