Another Victory!

This one was a court ruling… a California prisoner is suing for her surgery and name change and the judge did not throw out the case.

Initial Victory in Trans Prisoner Case

Transgender Law Center, in conjunction with pro bono co-counsel from the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, won an important victory in the case of Norsworthy v. Beard this week. We are representing Michelle Norsworthy, a transgender woman held in a California men’s prison. Michelle was denied gender-affirming surgery, even though her treating psychologist had repeatedly concluded that it was medically necessary to treat her gender dysphoria. She was also denied a legal name change because the name she would like to use is a traditionally feminine name. We are arguing that the prison system’s discriminatory actions violate fundamental constitutional guarantees, including the Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the Equal Protection Clause.

Many people think it is wrong for prisoners to be able to get hormones and surgery while in prison. But what if it was cancer and the state withheld cancer treatment? Just because it is for gender dysphoria it should not be denied, we should have the same rights as every other person when it comes to medically necessary healthcare.