A transgender inmate will be transferred to a women’s prison after successfully suing Minnesota Department of Corrections for discrimination.
56-year-old Christina Lusk will also receive $495,000 in compensation and get a vag*noplasty after her ‘horrific’ experiences in an all-male prison.
It was in 2018 when Lusk legally changed her name after coming out as transgender. But the following year, she pleaded guilty to a felony drug possession charge.
Lusk will also receive gender-affirming healthcare, with the settlement promising it will strengthen its policies to protect transgender inmates.
In a statement, she said: “This journey has brought extreme challenges, and I have endured so much. My hope is that nobody has to go through the same set of circumstances.
“I relied on my faith, and I never gave up hope. I can truly say that I am a strong, proud, transgender woman, and my name is Christina Lusk.”
Minnesota DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell also said that the state is “constitutionally obligated” to treat gender dysphoria.
“Based on the facts of this specific case, the incarcerated person will now have access to the medical care she needs, she deserves, and we have a legal obligation to provide,” he said in a statement.
The settlement includes vows that gender non-conforming prisoners will be placed at facilities that match their identities.
They will also approve requests “unless the requested placement would pose a heightened risk of physical or s*xual harm to that person or those housed in the preferred facility.”
Lusk continued: “Everybody needs to come together in unity, and embrace positive change. I believe we have made a big step toward allowing people to express who they truly are, and bring some sort of peace and happiness to their lives.”
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