Activity: Reconstructive Surgery for Gender Dysphoria: Self-Directed: Non-graded

To complete this activity, read the following scenario:

Michelle is a thirty-four-year-old Caucasian female who is incarcerated for five years on charges of serious domestic assault on her sister. She has four years remaining of her sentence. She has a documented case of gender dysphoria. She is a female physically, but all her life, she has felt like a male emotionally and mentally.

She takes hormone therapy (testosterone) to help her acquire some of the physical characteristics of a male. Just as with needed dental and medical services, the state correctional facility is required to provide Michelle with hormone therapy (medication) as well as weekly therapy sessions to discuss her emotional distress related to her gender dysphoria.

Michelle wants to proceed with full gender reconstruction surgery to permanently alter her anatomy from female to male in order to become Michael. Since her prison therapist has reluctantly admitted that becoming a male would alleviate a fair amount of Michelle's emotional distress, Michelle decides to ask the state to pay for her gender change surgery. The state declines to do so. Michelle is now suing the state to pay for her gender reconstructive surgery to physically become a male.

After reading the scenario, discuss your position on whether the state should pay for the gender change surgery for an incarcerated individual with gender dysphoria? Why or why not?