Transgender inmate's suit against NC prison case can proceed

A federal judge has ruled that the case of a transgender inmate suing North Carolina for gender affirming medical care can proceed. Kanautica Zayre-Brown sued North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety in April, claiming the prison system has failed to regularly dispense Zayre-Brown’s prescribed hormones and has denied her request for surgical procedure to construct a vagina. The Charlotte Observer reports that U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn rejected the state’s motion to dismiss Tuesday and says he intends to hear arguments in the case. Cogburn says the case is important to deciding whether people in custody have a right to gender affirming surgery and care.