BOSTON (AP) — A ruling ordering Massachusetts to provide sex-change surgery to an inmate is being praised by advocates as important recognition that the surgery is a legitimate treatment for gender-identity disorder.
But critics denounced the ruling. U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts calls it "an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars" and says he hopes it will be overturned.
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the state must provide the surgery to Michelle Kosilek, a transgender inmate serving life in prison for murder. The judge said the surgery is the only way to treat Kosilek's "serious medical need."
Kosilek was born male. She has received hormone treatments and now lives as a woman in an all-male prison. Kosilek was named Robert when married to Cheryl Kosilek, and convicted of murdering her in 1990.
