Harris once bragged about working “behind the scenes” to get sex-change surgeries for trans prisoners

Vice President Kamala Harris previously said she worked “behind the scenes” during her tenure as California attorney general to secure sex-reassignment surgeries for California prisoners despite it being against state policy at the time.

Harris bragged about bypassing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ensure transgender inmates had access to medical services. included sex reassignment surgeries, despite denying an inmate a request for surgery in April 2015, seconds in the Washington Blade. When asked about his trajectory during his failed 2020 presidential primary campaign, Harrishinted that he sometimes had to do things against his personal beliefs, but insisted he worked “behind the scenes” to make sure transgender prisoners.

In January 2019, Harris faced criticism for its anti-LGBTQ song history as California's attorney general when his office denied sex-reassignment surgery to inmates, according to the Blade. In an April 2015 legal filing reported per the Blade, Harris, along with other state attorneys, denied transgender inmate Michelle-Lael Norsworthy's request to get sex-reassignment surgery.

“Norsworthy has been treated for gender dysphoria for over 20 years, and there is no indication that her condition has in any way worsened to the point where she needs to get sex reassignment surgery now rather than wait until this case produces a final judgment on the merits,” the brief says.

In an attempt to defend himself, Harris maintained that he provided transgender inmates with the sex changes he said they “needed” and “deserved.”

“On this issue, I will tell you that I vehemently disagree, and in fact, I worked behind the scenes to ensure that the Department of Corrections allowed transitioning inmates to receive the medical care they needed, needed and deserved,” Harris said during a news. conference in 2019, according to the Washington Blade.

Harris said he helped the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pave the way for transgender inmates to get “transition-related care,” which included sex-change surgery, according to the Washington Blade.

“I think we're at a point where we need to stop vilifying people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and we need to understand that when we're talking about the transgender community in particular,” Harris said during the news conference. .

“For too long they've been subject to prejudice and, frankly, a lack of understanding about their circumstances and their physical needs, in addition to whatever other needs they have, and it's time we understood that better.” Harris. he said during the press conference.

Since California began offering sex-reassignment surgeries to transgender inmates, prisons have been fighting to keep up with the increase in requests for sex reassignment surgery.

In California's 2021-2022 budget year, 270 transgender inmates requested “gender affirmation” surgeries, a significant increase from 99 requests the previous year. seconds at CalMatters. CalMatters projected that 348 gender-affirming surgeries were expected to be performed in 2023 and 462 more in 2024.

Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Sergeant Richard Valdemar said California's transgender housing policies have led to a “unprecedented increase in violence” according to a new docuseries titled “Cruel and unusual punishment” by the Independent Women's Forum (IWF).

“It's happening everywhere, in the federal system. I have friends in the … federal Bureau of Prisons system, and it's happening in Arizona … the big part of it is the public doesn't know this is happening Valdemar said.

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