inmate sues prison to pay for sexual re-assignment surgery: controversy ensues

[The_Outernationalist]

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


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.


Your thoughts please.

[The_Outernationalist]

edit: it was supposed to say "sexual re-assignment surgery" but for some reason it says "sexual transgender surgery". can mod please change that for me?

[unfriendly]

Corporate media getting all up in someone's personal struggle to fetishize and other them, while not questioning the status quo at all. Someone on revleft asking for (generally quite privileged) other peoples' opinion on that person's personal struggle.

[Aurora]

Poor women, to attempt to castrate yourself, being born into the wrong body must be unimaginably distressing. I hope she gets the treatment she undoubtedly needs, but i'd say the odds are probably pretty low :(


Corporate media getting all up in someone's personal struggle to fetishize and other them, while not questioning the status quo at all. Someone on revleft asking for (generally quite privileged) other peoples' opinion on that person's personal struggle.
Eh? :confused:

[The_Outernationalist]

I find this a troubling precedent for the future...things need to be codified. Common law doesn't work. It just creates a shitload of trouble.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

All I can really say about the specific issue right now is that I hope she wins.

[PhoenixAsh]

Well...I think it would be about f-ing time if that happened! Its unf*** believable that we still let people suffer over silly outdated ideas.

[Tablo]

I wish her the best and hope she can win this case and receive the surgery she needs.

[Fawkes]

Corporate media getting all up in someone's personal struggle to fetishize and other them, while not questioning the status quo at all. Someone on revleft asking for (generally quite privileged) other peoples' opinion on that person's personal struggle.

First part: yes.

Second part: what? That person's personal struggle is a struggle similar to that faced by many people and one that is a product of the overarching oppressive nature of heteronormativity.

[xub3rn00dlex]

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.

This statement right here severely bothers me. It is not a mental fucking illness. :(