[News] [VA, USA] Transgender inmate: Don't judge me, I need sex change
Stephanie Stevens
Transgender inmate: Don't judge me, I need sex change
Shelby Brown, CBS 6 News Reporter
Posted by Nick Dutton
7:26 p.m. EST, February 3, 2012
[Video <http://www.wdbj7.com/videogallery/67839659/News/inmate-sex-change> ]
RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Transgender inmate Ophelia De`Lonta is begging
the world not to judge her and desperately wants sex reassignment
surgery.
De`Lonta said the worst part about living with Gender Identity
Disorder is waking up and not seeing who she really is.
De`Lonta told CBS 6 News' Shelby Brown Friday that she is a woman who
feels trapped in a man`s body – and thinks the world is passing
judgment.
De`Lonta , who is housed at the Buckingham Correctional Center ,
appealed a judge's ruling that the Department of Corrections has done
its part to treat her.
"It`s not just from my point of view medically necessary, but my
doctors say it's a medical necessity," said De`Lonta.
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In fact, De`Lonta said she realized in her teens that she was different.
However, she said she thought robbery would one day help her get
enough money to pay for a sex change. But, it simply landed her in
prison.
De`Lonta said a judge ruled the Department of Corrections would have
to provide treatment. Since then, she`s been taking hormone therapy
treatments behind bars.
Now, De`Lonta said she is beyond that and desperately needs the
surgery. She has even tried to self-castrate.
"I don`t regret it, other than I didn`t finish. The pain is a lot
more bearable that the pain I go through every day," said De`Lonta.
In addition, De`Lonta said she understands that people are concerned
about tax dollars being spent on the procedure, but that she feels it
is medically necessary.
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Related
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<http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wtvr-transgender-inmate,0,1211989.story>
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