The New York lawsuit brings hope to the community

Settlement of a New York State Prisoner’s Litigation: “New York Broome County Lawsuit Brings Hope for the Community”

Holland’s original complaint claimed that a female prisoner was denied her medication, was beaten by officers when she refused to take her clothes off, and was forced to live and shower with male inmates.

The settlement was announced on Thursday. The new policy requires the housing of inmates according to their gender identity and access to gender-affirming care. A portion of the $160,000 will go to Holland.

Access to medication to treat Holland’s gender dysphoria is considered medically necessary. Evidence has shown that trans individuals can struggle severely with mental health issues such as heightened anxiety and depression without it.

Holland filed her lawsuit in March 2022 with the aid of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Her experience is one shared by many transgender people incarcerated in the United States. Being put in jails that don’t align with their gender identity can lead to assaults and discrimination, NPR’s previous reporting has shown.

Source: At a time of anti-trans sentiment, a New York lawsuit brings hope for the community

The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling on the Gender Identity Respect, Dignity and Safety Act ruled by an afghanist judge

Additionally, a 2020 report found that since 2011, at least nine inmates had died at the Broome County Jail. Activists have disagreed with the official number and say at least 11 had died up until that point.

Gender-affirming care can include providing certain medical care, providing clothes and toiletries consistent with a person’s gender identity and applying grooming standards consistent with a person’s gender identity.

Despite a growing level of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the country, the legal defense fund and other advocacy organizations are succeeding in many lawsuits filed on behalf of other incarcerated trans individuals, Medley said.

They have to deal with the changing makeup of courts that can decide against them, but I think there’s definitely positive vibes in this area.

“It would be difficult if not impossible to bring about the kind of wide-scale change we need through individual lawsuits. The New York Civil Liberties Union has a staff attorney named Gabriella Larios.

Larios stated that the Gender Identity Respect, Dignity and Safety Act would codify all the protections included in the Holland and Faith settlements into state law.

She said that no matter what the reason is, we are all humans. We all deserve to be respected and treated with dignity.

In a statement, officials in that office said they “will continue to enforce the laws duly enacted by the Texas Legislature and uphold the values of the people of Texas by doing everything in its power to protect children from damaging ‘gender transition’ interventions.”

But almost immediately after the judge entered that ruling, the state attorney general’s office announced that it had appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, a step that would prevent the lower court’s injunction from taking effect, at least for now.

Senate bill 14 was one of the most volatile pieces of legislation in the Texas legislative session and had protests from trans people and their supporters.

In a ruling on Friday, Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel of the State District Court in Travis County said plaintiffs who challenged the new law on state constitutional grounds had shown they would be likely to succeed at trial.

The First Amendment of the Family Judgment in the Confronts the Treatment of Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria

“The Act’s prohibitions on providing evidence-based treatment for adolescents with gender dysphoria stands directly at odds with parents’ fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children,” the judge wrote.