WILL TYPE FOR ENLIGHTENMENT
BLOG BY CEE

Because I own a typewriter, I offer typing services to anyone who needs it. Occasionally, I become involved in something that I can use in my own case, things that interest me and are informative are mutually beneficial. This time I was a bit surprised at one of the jobs I took. A "girl" came up to me at this, an all male prison, and told me she wanted me to work on a civil case for her "transgender rights" which I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. I assumed that all prisoners are treated with an equal amount of disrespect from correctional staff, at least that is how it seems to me, but "she" was not speaking of disrespect from staff, rather, she was referring to her lack of medical treatment: This too was Chinese to me because to that point, I'd never heard of medical treatment for what I thought to be a homosexual.

After she explained her case, I became more interested in this area of medical treatment, since basically it was unlike any case I've ever had. Civil Law on Constitutional claims of Deliberate Indifference is a hard fight with any case, but medical treatment for transgender inmates was something that has, up to this date, never been taken seriously in the State of California. I am not sure that this is because there are a lack of these types of complaints, but just that California legislative members and the political situations don't make room for dialogue on it. I imagine there are a lot of Prop 8 people in this State's administration who do not wish to cater to homosexuals or anyone like them. I have never discriminated on anyone of this culture, and therefore I am engaged in the fight -- temporarily, that is.

I had to be educated on the many groups that make up the LGBTQ community, I did this with the help of some of our gay and transsexual inmates here at Mule Creek State Prison. Most people, no matter who they are or what their preferences, are more than willing to justify their lifestyle to strangers willing to help their cause. All of it was interesting, but I really only arrived at the following issues for the medical claim:
1) Transsexuals indeed have a Serious Medical Need and thus should be treated;
2) Standards of Care have been established worldwide for the effective treatment of transsexualism;
3) California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is not in conformity with the Standards of Care established by the medical community for the treatment of transsexual/transgender prisoners;
4) CDCR's failure to conform to the above Standards of Care constitute a Deliberate Indifference to the Serious Medical Needs of transsexual prisoners within its custody and care.

A review of these standards can be found by searching for *Harry Benjamin* and *Standards of Care* for Transsexuals.

What treatments are available for transsexuals?

Here is the "triadic sequence" for treatment:
1) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT);
2) Real Life Experience. This includes the ability to actually live as a member of the opposite sex, and;
3) Sexual Reassignment Surgery.

Really interesting stuff, right? Well, I think it is kind of a stretch to expect CDCR to pay for a sex change, but for the challenge I will try to win this case for her. Her name is Cindy, and she is my Cellie. Not that it matters, but NO, don't go there.

I have learned a lot about the nature of people in this place; I am often surprised at how little I know of myself, but I think that if people are willing to be themselves no matter the consequence, people will always be attracted to these rebels for true freedom, may this be a good lesson for all Americans. Too much pressure on our elected politicians to join their constituents in suppressing the cultural diversity has had a counter productive drive. There is much to be adopted by America that has already been embraced in populations the world over. For instance, the Greeks of the past were openly paired with multiples of opposite genders, the eclectic blend of personal liberty and freedom of choice was to be admired and, as an example, should be adopted by us all. I promise to keep you all posted on the case for transgender rights in prison. No real moral-lesson, I'm afraid, but interesting.

--cee