An unnamed transgender inmate, known as Maria Moe in court documents, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) over President Trump's executive order halting medical transgender treatments for federal prisoners. The executive order, titled 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,' prohibits federal funds from being used for medical procedures to alter an inmate's appearance to the opposite sex.
Moe, who has been on medical hormones since adolescence and has not been housed in a men's facility since conviction, was transferred to a men's prison following the order. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the order could lead to transgender women being unlawfully transferred to men's facilities and denied necessary healthcare, exposing them to harassment, abuse, and violence.
The complaint alleges that Moe faces a high risk of harm if transferred to a men's facility, including potential harassment, abuse, and sexual assault. The lawsuit claims violations of the Fifth and Eighth Amendments and asserts that Moe is at risk of losing access to essential medical care for gender dysphoria.
Prior to the executive order, the BOP had started funding gender transition surgeries for transgender inmates, with notable cases like Donna Langan and Cristina Nichole Iglesias receiving taxpayer-funded procedures. Recent lawsuits have challenged the denial of gender transition treatments for incarcerated individuals, including cases in Indiana and Florida, as well as legal action against state correctional departments for alleged barriers to gender dysphoria treatment.
The lawsuit by Maria Moe represents a significant legal challenge to the Trump administration's policy on transgender medical treatments for federal prisoners, highlighting ongoing debates and legal battles surrounding healthcare access for transgender individuals in correctional facilities.
