The Prisha Mosley Lawsuit: The Future of LGBTQ+ Rights in the United States
- Bradley Melton
- Jan 5
- 4 min read
At this point in time the US is at a major tipping point for the LGBTQ+ community and any minorities that fall under it. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned there is a major concern about the continuance of personal privacy in this country. This case wasn’t just about reproductive rights or even abortion but more specifically it was to determine how protected one’s personal decisions are in relation to privacy. Unfortunately, it appears regression of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States may just be on the horizon. This can be most starkly seen in the case of Prisha Mosley.
For those who don’t know Prisha Mosley is a clear example of the predicted direction of the next Administrations Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. Ms. Mosley is one of the first to go through with having a child following a double mastectomy at 18. This is following an unsuccessful transition to a male gender identity which took place from 15 or 16, depends on the source, to 18 years. The reason this case is so important to the community is its status as the first lawsuit to be brought to court with charges against involved health professionals, doctors and counselors. In the original filing the legal team was pursuing 7 counts against the health professionals, however, only 2 counts fraud and civil conspiracy were not outright dismissed. To me this is an unfortunate path to regression that the country seems to be pursuing.
I don’t see what the legal team hopes to accomplish here. There are individuals who genuinely need to transition. The situation is unfortunate, and some may feel the doctors are individually responsible for the permanent long-term physical changes caused by the surgery. I don’t think a limit on gender affirming care would have changed this outcome in any substantive capacity. Some outlets are leaving out key pieces of information to push forward their own anti-trans narrative. However, I think there is another explanation that may be a better target for helping prevent this from happening to others. In at least one article she said that some people online convinced her that her gender identity was the problem. The more I hear about detransitioning cases the more I think there is a greater effect of internet or technology use on these scenarios.
My siblings and I grew up with limited access to the internet and current technology. There was one flip phone that we used until I think about high school which for me would have been 2015 or so. This resulted in all of us being well adjusted. I think these individuals that intervened in the situation were either bad actors, people who did not have her best interest at heart, or they were severely misguided. Qualified professionals are the only ones who should be encouraging the process of gender identification.
Another point I have seen brought up is that doctors make a substantial profit from transitioning children/teens who are not trans. I don’t see evidence of this. As tragic as the situation is detransitioning is quite rare. Not to mention there are so many other mental and physical health operations that would give them the same profit for less controversy. I don’t have an exact answer on what should be done to prevent these situations from happening. The entire situation took place over 3 years. During the social transition stage, individuals are required to go through counseling to make sure that the individual is not cis. It’s possible that failed here but its more likely that there just aren’t enough resources being put into mental health here in the United States.
There have been some calls that citing potential risk of suicide is hyperbolic and unneeded, however, this is a very real possibility for most individuals. While I agree health professionals are not infallible, there oath is to do no harm and a majority of them don’t. Parents and the individual are the ultimate decision makers in this situation. Gender Dysphoria, like most mental health conditions, is a wide-ranging spectrum from minor impairment to catastrophic suicidality.
The mental element is the only thing I see that separates those who are trans from those who have central precocious puberty in which both groups use puberty blockers effectively. I don’t think access to something potentially life saving should be denied when a person reaches the age of maturity. Her surgery did not happen until she reached 18. Technically the human brain continues to mature into our 30s so are people really saying people should be required to survive for 3 decades minimum in a suicidal condition? I don’t think that is reasonable, especially since there is no biological test to establish the diagnosis.
While the results remain to be seen. I heavily dislike the government regulating personal health decisions and limiting what health professionals can do. I think this is less of a problem for our legal system and more so a problem for parents to solve. Not to blame anybody who is caught in the unfortunate situation of sorting out gender dysphoria. However, a dead kid is clearly the worse outcome compared to permanent disfigurement. I don’t think regulations past the age of majority will help anyone.
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