Australian Woman Sues Psychiatrist For Supporting Gender Transition
I guess you’re not responsible for your own decisions anymore, if this Australian woman wins her lawsuit. Via Sydney Morning Herald:
The first time Sydney woman Jay Langadinos saw psychiatrist Dr Patrick Toohey she was 19, living at home and identifying as male. It was May 2010. Langadinos wanted to start on masculinising hormones and her endocrinologist had referred her to Toohey to assess if she was suitable for the treatment.
Toohey agreed Langadinos suffered from gender dysphoria – a misalignment between a person’s sex and gender identity – and found she was suitable for hormone therapy, in this case testosterone, which encourages the development of male secondary sexual characteristics.
Langadinos saw Toohey a second time in February 2012. Now she was eager to have her breasts surgically removed. Toohey allegedly found “no contraindication” for her to undergo a bilateral mastectomy. She had the operation in April.
The following month, Langadinos was back again, this time to discuss her wish to have her womb removed. Again, Toohey reported he could not see “any psychiatric contraindication to proceeding with hysterectomy as part of gender transition”. Langadinos underwent the surgery in November, less than seven months after her mastectomy. She was 22.
Toohey’s advice is now subject to a rare legal case. Langadinos, now 31 and no longer identifying as male, is suing Toohey for professional negligence.
[SMH]
More details on the case are at the link.
Doctors and psychiatrists who treat patients like this are in an interesting position. If they deny patients care or refuse to treat, they can probably be sued for discrimination or be labeled bigots. If they proceed and do provide treatment, they can be sued if the patient changes their mind after the deed is done. Incredible.
