Elton John and Michael Stipe have issued a joint statement calling on the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) to provide safety and hormone therapy to transgender women housed in male prisons in the state
Elton John and Michael Stipe have issued a joint statement calling on the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) to provide safety and hormone therapy to transgender women housed in male prisons in the state, according to the Guardian.
Earlier this month it was reported that transgender inmate Ashley Diamond has been denied access to her hormones, assaulted and raped at least seven times by other inmates.
Diamond filed a lawsuit against the GDC in February after years of unsuccessfully trying to convince corrections officials to provide her proper medical treatment and protection.
Last week, the US Justice Department voiced support for Diamond, calling the state’s denial of hormone therapy for gender dysphoria “cruel and unusual punishment”.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has filed a federal lawsuit against the GDC on behalf of Diamond.
The statement by John and Stipe reads in part:
“We applaud the US Department of Justice for supporting Ashley Diamond and the trans community in arguing that Georgia’s policy of denying transgender inmates their medically necessary hormone treatment is unconstitutional. But we must do more to end the culture of violence and discrimination surrounding gender identity and expression. We urge the state of Georgia to embrace desperately needed changes to their correctional system.”
Watch a SPLC report on Diamond, AFTER THE JUMP…
