A federal district judge on Friday refused to block the Florida Department of Corrections from enforcing a policy that bans gender reassignment treatment and social transition for most prison inmates.
Rayne Keohane, a male inmate receiving cross-sex hormones and social care in a Florida prison, has filed a lawsuit against the rule, saying it violates his Eighth Amendment right to medically necessary care. requested a preliminary injunction. According to to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Judge Allen Windsor, appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2019, rejected the request, stating: ruling Denying social accommodations, such as allowing male prisoners to wear cross-sex clothing, does not violate the Constitution or overall state policy, as exceptions are allowed on a case-by-case basis.
“The record shows that Keohane has received extensive treatment for gender dysphoria,” Windsor wrote in his ruling. “In addition to the hormonal treatments we currently offer, our department also provides psychotherapy for people with gender dysphoria. This does not mean that our department simply does not provide any treatment at all.”
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – FEBRUARY 09: Women’s rights groups protest outside the Scottish Parliament over male-identifying transgender prisoners in a women’s prison on February 9, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland. is being carried out. (Photo by Ken Jack/Getty Images)
under policy Under changes issued in September, the Florida Department of Corrections no longer allows inmates to take cross-sex hormones, wear cross-sex clothing or keep their hair longer than male grooming standards. The rule allows for exceptions on a case-by-case basis if a medical professional determines it is “medically necessary.” (Related: Half of ‘transgender women’ in state prisons have been convicted of sex crimes, records show)
Windsor also said Keohane failed to prove that transgender treatment was medically necessary, according to the ruling.
Keohane is currently serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder. According to Go to previous court documents.
“Florida authorities have engaged in a baseless campaign to dehumanize and degrade incarcerated people like our client,” Lee Nowlin Saul, lead attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ+HIV Project, said in a statement. It’s evolving,” he said. “Allowing this policy to proceed threatens the fundamental human rights of transgender people in state custody, despite the state’s clear intent to ban this medical care altogether. Today’s court order unnecessarily disregards state policy.”
The state of Florida has been offering transgender surgeries to inmates who identify as transgender since 2017, and as of 2023, the state will spend $4 million on surgeries for more than 100 inmates, including death row inmates. It takes a very different approach from states such as California, which spend more than a dollar in tax dollars. , According to to the California Family Council. The state has seen a sharp increase in requests for sex reassignment surgeries from prisoners, and the number is expected to increase each year.
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