Gender in Virginia
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=6349 (http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=6349)
6/16/11
by Will O'Bryan
The local transgender community and allies have a long history of fighting for more equitable treatment of transgender inmates in the custody of D.C.'s Department of Corrections (DOC). The issues have ranged from having DOC staff recognize an inmate's stated gender identity to securing placement of transgender inmates in gender-appropriate facilities to ensuring input from the transgender community when such issues arise.
Earlier this month, however, the Associated Press reported the story of Ophelia De'lonta, geographically nearby at the Buckingham Correctional Facility for men in Dillwyn, Va., about 50 miles west of Richmond, but possibly a world away when it comes to her status as a transgender woman. As the AP reported, De'lonta has filed suit against the Virginia Department of Corrections requesting they provide her with gender-reassignment surgery as treatment for her Gender Identity Disorder (GID). This comes after her crude attempt at performing the surgery herself. If De'lonta, 50, wins her case, it would be a first in the U.S. There are other transgender inmates, however, pursuing the same outcome.