At the Conservative Party Conference, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made controversial comments regarding gender identity, stating that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman.” Against this backdrop, a woman who claimed to have self-diagnosed herself with gender dysphoria as a teenager is now suing two Wisconsin surgeons for performing procedures without her proper consent. The surgeons, Jay Lick and Katherine Gast, along with UW Hospital, have been named in the lawsuit filed in Dane County Circuit Court.
According to the lawsuit, Lick performed a uterus removal surgery on the woman when she was 19, while Gast conducted a double mastectomy when she was 21. Both surgeries were considered gender-affirming procedures. The woman alleges that she self-diagnosed her gender dysphoria, but the doctors did not independently diagnose her, as reported by the Wisconsin State Journal.
The lawsuit accuses the doctors of malpractice, failure to obtain informed consent, discrimination under the Affordable Care Act, hospital negligence, and denial of benefits and care that would have been provided to a “non-transgender woman.” The woman, now residing in Chicago, claims that she previously identified as lesbian and then nonbinary as a means to cope with childhood trauma. She experienced severe psychological distress and trauma, including sexual abuse, within her childhood home.
After fleeing her home, the woman was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In the past year, she decided to “detransition” by ceasing testosterone treatment and realizing that her mental distress stemmed from her childhood trauma rather than her biological sex.
The lawsuit also highlights the woman’s cultural background, stating that she mourns the fact that she will never be able to naturally conceive a large family, as expected in her Jewish culture. UW Health, including University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, has responded to the lawsuit, expressing their commitment to patient care without providing further details on how informed consent is obtained.
The woman’s attorney, Daniel Cragg, clarifies that the lawsuit aims to rectify personal injury matters and is not driven by public relations motives. He emphasizes that it is a straightforward medical malpractice case. It is worth noting that Wisconsin’s Senate recently passed a bill banning sex-reassignment surgeries for minors, although Democratic Governor Tony Evers intends to veto the measure.
As the case unfolds, further comments from UW Hospital and the woman’s attorney are awaited. Stay informed with the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.
