Transgender Man Sues Catholic Hospital for Canceling His Hysterectomy
By Beth Stoneburner, July 19, 2020

Jesse Hammons, a transgender man, was all set to have a hysterectomy earlier this year. The surgery would have allowed him to feel more comfortable in his body. But his surgeon, who has worked with trans people before, unfortunately scheduled the operation at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center… which happens to be a Catholic institution.

The Catholic Church rejects transgender identities.

The Washington Post explains how Hammons’ surgery was canceled by the hospital the night before it was supposed to happen because the Church itself disapproved of what he was doing, not because there was any medical concern.

Now he’s suing them.

On Thursday afternoon, Hammons filed a lawsuit against St. Joseph Medical Center, claiming the hospital’s denial violated the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause and discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act.

“I felt like this hospital didn’t see any worth in my life and the care that I needed,” Hammons said. “The University of Maryland St. Joseph’s should be caring for all of Maryland’s residents. We shouldn’t be denied based on who we are.”

This case is one of a growing list that begs the question of when one person’s religious freedom overrides another person’s right to exercise their civil rights. This particular hospital is Catholic, but in 2012, it was taken over by the state-funded university with the understanding it could still function as a Catholic hospital.