Transgender prisoners are mandated to receive hormone treatment, according to a court ruling.
Transgender inmates will continue to receive hormone therapy and social accommodations, thanks to a federal judge's ruling that blocked Donald Trump's executive order. The executive order was intended to limit these treatments for transgender inmates held in federal prisons.
U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must not arbitrarily deny inmates access to treatment and accommodations deemed necessary by their medical team. The judge underscored the personal distress experienced by transgender individuals with gender dysphoria and questioned why their treatment should be handled any differently from any other mental health intervention.
The BOP provides hormone therapy to over 600 inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The judge acknowledged that gender dysphoria can cause serious side effects such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Trump's order required a review of the BOP's medical care policies to ensure that federal funds were not used for appearance-altering treatments.
However, Lamberth's ruling applies to the lawsuit's named plaintiffs, as well as anyone who is or will be incarcerated in federal prisons. It also temporarily bars prison officials from moving three transgender women to male facilities and denying them hormone therapy.
It's important to note that the class of plaintiffs, certified by the judge, includes all individuals who are or will be incarcerated in BOP facilities and have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria or receive such a diagnosis in the future. This extends the injunctive relief to all transgender inmates in federal custody.
The ruling mandates the continued provision of hormone therapy, as well as social accommodations such as hair removal, chest binders, and gender-specific undergarments. The case is part of a broader lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order, which aimed to prevent federal funds from being used for procedures intended to align an inmate's appearance with their chosen gender.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from the Transgender Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. Judge Lamberth, nominated by President Reagan, has now issued two rulings in favor of transgender inmates in federal custody.
This story was translated from English with assistance from an artificial intelligence tool. Further developments in this case could have significant implications for the rights of transgender individuals in federal custody. Stay tuned.
- The federal judge's ruling emphasized that transgender inmates' mental health, including those with gender dysphoria, should not be treated differently from other mental health interventions.
- Judge Lamberth's decision mandates the continued provision of therapies and treatments such as hormone therapy, hair removal, chest binders, and gender-specific undergarments to transgender inmates in federal custody.
- The judge's ruling also applies to any individual who is or will be incarcerated in federal prisons and has, or in the future receives, a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
- The ongoing case, which involves the Transgender Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, challenges the Trump administration's policy and legislation that aimed to limit healthcare and accommodations for transgender inmates.
