From FoxNews.com:

BOSTON –  A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a judge’s ruling granting a taxpayer-funded sex change operation for a transgender inmate serving a life sentence for a murder conviction, saying receiving medically necessary treatment is a constitutional right that must be protected “even if that treatment strikes some as odd or unorthodox.”

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled in 2012 that the state Department of Correction must provide sex reassignment surgery for Michelle Kosilek, who was born as Robert Kosilek and is serving a life sentence for the killing of his wife in 1990.

The Department of Correction challenged the ruling at the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Its lawyers argued Kosilek has received adequate treatment for gender identity disorder, including female hormone treatments, laser hair removal and psychotherapy. Prison officials said those treatments have eased the stress and anxiety felt by Kosilek, and they argued it was unnecessary to heed advice from independent medical experts who recommended the 64-year-old undergo the sex change surgery as the next step of treating her intense gender identity disorder.

The defense attorney said:

“This decision is really about more than sexual reassignment surgery,” Sulman said. “It’s about the state’s requirement to treat all prisoners equally regardless of their gender identity or regardless of the circumstances.”

That’s odd.  I thought the duty of state governments was to incarcerate inmates and provide the basics in terms of food, shelter, programs, etc.

We shouldn’t forget:

Kosilek was convicted of killing Cheryl Kosilek, a volunteer counselor at a drug rehabilitation facility who thought she could cure his gender identity disorder.

This piece of shite is a convicted murderer.  Not a suspected murderer.  Not a person of interest.  A CONVICTED murderer.

You tax dollars at work, Massachusetts.

BZ