ACLU And Lambda Legal In Court to Defend Transgender People's Rights

ACLU And Lambda Legal In Court MONDAY To Defend Transgender People's Right To Access Medical Treatment In Prison

ACLU And Lambda Legal In Court MONDAY To Defend Transgender People's Right To Access Medical Treatment In Prison CHICAGO - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit will hear arguments Monday, February 7, in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and Lambda Legal defending the right of transgender people to receive medical care while they are incarcerated. In 2005, the state of Wisconsin passed a law that barred prison doctors from providing transgender inmates hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery while in state custody. Lambda Legal and the ACLU sued the state on behalf of transgender inmates, some of whom had been receiving hormone treatment for years in Wisconsin prisons. An injunction order was granted to continue hormone treatment until a ruling was made, and in April 2010 a federal district court finally struck down the so-called 'Inmate Sex Change Prevention Act.' More information on this case can be found on Lambda Legal's case page at: www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/fields-v-smith.html or at the ACLU case profile page at: http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights_hiv-aids/sundstrom-v-frank-case-profile WHAT: Oral arguments in Fields v. Smith, a case defending the rights of transgender inmates to receive critical hormone therapy while incarcerated. WHO: John Knight, staff attorney with the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project, will be arguing the case. Larry Dupuis of the ACLU of Wisconsin will also be in attendance. WHEN: Monday, February 7, 2011 Order of arguments published at 9:00 a.m. CT WHERE: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals 219 S. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL