Catholic hospital to allow transgender surgery after being sued

[Holly3278]

Daly City, CA, Mar 4, 2008 / 04:19 am (CNA).- A Catholic hospital that refused to allow its facilities to be used for breast implant surgery on a man that had undergone a sex-change operation will now allow the procedure, the California Catholic Daily reports.

In 2006 a doctor told Charlene Hastings, 57, that Seton Medical Center in Daly City would not allow him to perform breast-enhancement surgery on a transsexual. Hastings claimed that upon further inquiry a surgical coordinator at the hospital said to him, “It’s not God’s will” and “God made you a man.”

A 2006 memo sent by Seton Medical Center to physicians said, “transgender procedures or procedures that are part of the transgendering process may not be performed at Seton, as Seton is a Catholic Hospital.”

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11967

This is so sad and it infuriates me. Why on earth do transsexuals choose Catholic hospitals to get their sex change surgery done at? I don’t know their true motives but it does make me suspicious.

I don’t understand why a Catholic hospital is required to perform such surgeries on people such as transsexuals. Aren’t private hospitals excluded from federal discrimination laws? And besides, as far as I know of, sexual orientation is not protected under law. It might be under California’s laws though. After all, California is a fairly liberal state.

I am just glad that the hospital employees told this man that it was against God’s will to get this done. Unfortunately, he must have took it as an insult and decided to sue. Transsexuals, like homosexuals, are objectively disordered.

Surely there is some way that this hospital can be a truly Catholic hospital like it probably wants to be. Isn’t there a way?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Surely there is some way that this hospital can be a truly Catholic hospital like it probably wants to be. Isn’t there a way?

Probably the only way would be if they accepted no federal or state money. Since that would mean they wouldn’t accept Medicare or Medicaid, it probably means they would go out of business. I’m beginning to think that it’s impossible to run a hospital and adhere to Catholic teachings.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

Why should any hospital, Catholic or not, be forced to do any elective or plastic surgery at all? There are plenty, I’m sure, that will gladly do them for the money, so if it’s not a life or (physical) health saving surgery, why force a hospital to perform it? I, too, am mad that the hospital backed down. It’s unnecessary surgery, what about the hospital’s rights?

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Why should any hospital, Catholic or not, be forced to do any elective or plastic surgery at all?

But that’s probably the issue in this case. If they do breast implants for a woman who wants a bigger bustline, can they refuse to do them for someone who is trying to look like a woman? According to the lawsuit, they’re discriminating.

I assume that if they didn’t allow cosmetic surgery at all there wouldn’t be an issue.

 

[masscup]

Although this hospital was sued and the plantiff won, I would wait to see what happens in the appeals process.

Plus, there are other alternatives to stopping the surgery such as revoking the surgeon’s privileges.

This isn’t over by any means.

 

[mschrank]

Why can’t they discriminate in the first place? Isn’t it privately owned?

 

[hasikelee]

Why can’t they discriminate in the first place? Isn’t it privately owned?

Even if privately owned, they are still bound by federal law.

Second, even if they are privately owned, if they accept federal or state money, grants or other forms of assistance, they must be ready to comply with the government regulation.

I remember this issue cropping up with satellite homeschools. Families accepted federal aid to attend satellite schools and found they could not truly “homeschool” but rather had to conform to state and federal regulations of what and how much of a subject to teach.

Government money comes with a catch.

 

[drafdog]

This is a surgery to alleviate a physical disease. Why would the Church not be in favor of alleviating disease? That’s why we invented hospitals in the first place.

Matthew

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

This is a surgery to alleviate a physical disease. Why would the Church not be in favor of alleviating disease? That’s why we invented hospitals in the first place.

Matthew

What type of physical disease requires a man to get breast enhancement surgery in order to look more like a woman?

 

[musishane]

Your responses on here scare me. I think you all should look up exactly what the Church teaches. Though it believes that a person’s gender does not change with sex reassignment surgery (the person undergoing surgery would agree as well, but for different reasons), it also says that because of the problems with gender dysphoria, suicide attempts, and depression, that in some circumstances the person should go through surgery. Look it up.

 

[fix]

Your responses on here scare me. I think you all should look up exactly what the Church teaches. Though it believes that a person’s gender does not change with sex reassignment surgery (the person undergoing surgery would agree as well, but for different reasons), it also says that because of the problems with gender dysphoria, suicide attempts, and depression, that in some circumstances the person should go through surgery. Look it up.

Perhaps you would provide a source to prove your position?

 

[puzzleannie]

that is elective surgery
no hospital here will do elective surgery, even gall bladder removal, unless their conditions including insurance, pre-payment, and medical indications are met. there is no way a hospital can legally be compelled to do a procedure. hospital needs better lawyers. If I can’t have medically necessary surgery because the hospital here calls it “elective” maybe I need better lawyers

 

[Brendan]

This is a surgery to alleviate a physical disease. Why would the Church not be in favor of alleviating disease? That’s why we invented hospitals in the first place.

Matthew

Are you claiming that a person the failure of the body of a person with XY chromosomes to grow breasts is a disease?

Most biologist consider that to be the natural behavior of the body. Do you disagree with them?

 

[mlchance]

Almost all sex reassignment surgeries should be refused by any institution concerned with actually caring for patients.

Surgical Sex by Paul McHugh.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[KathleenElsie]

The CBS 5 News station characterized the statement as a “veiled apology.” It said, “transgender Charlene Hastings has claimed moral victory against Catholics.”
According to the California Catholic Daily, Hasting’s attorney, Chris Dolan, said that a lawsuit seeking monetary damages would proceed.
“Like any good religious experience, first you need enlightenment and then you need atonement,” said Dolan. “And what we have here perhaps is a glimpse of enlightenment. Has it changed their heart? I don’t think so. Will it change their practice? It better.”

And this is your reason. Putting Catholics in their PLACE and MONEY.

 

[rpp]

It is all about attention and money. That a sexual deviant has trouble with the primary force for morality in the world is a surprise?

That the anti-Christian influence in this country dominates the courts is another surprise?

 

[drafdog]

Some of these people have XXY chromosomes and the resultant physical traits do not match the neural and emotional responses. The desire to make the body match the neural and emotional matrix is not unnatural. Modern medicine and surgery work together to alleviate the disease of multiple sex bodies by eliminating one of the sets of sexual organs. This is what transgender surgery is about.
Please don’t ask why these people are the way they are. No one knows how sexual confusion like this originates. All we know is that it is there and the medical community is doing its best to help these people cope. Try to be compassionate toward your wounded brothers and sisters.

Matthew

 

[rpp]

Some of these people have XXY chromosomes and the resultant physical traits do not match the neural and emotional responses. The desire to make the body match the neural and emotional matrix is not unnatural. Modern medicine and surgery work together to alleviate the disease of multiple sex bodies by eliminating one of the sets of sexual organs. This is what transgender surgery is about.
Please don’t ask why these people are the way they are. No one knows how sexual confusion like this originates. All we know is that it is there and the medical community is doing its best to help these people cope. Try to be compassionate toward your wounded brothers and sisters.

Matthew

Those are extraordinary rare cases with fewer than 200 births annually worldwide. Additionally, most of these people are not ambiguously gendered but instead have developmental deficits. Furthermore, that is not what is being suggested here anyway. This was clearly a sex-change. The person claims to be a “trans-gendered” person, not a person of ambiguous gender.

Your post does accurately present facts. In fact, it is highly inaccurate with few correct facts. The “disease” being “treated” is one of the many forms of sexual deviancy, not a chromosomal disorder.

Beyond this the Catholic Church teaches we are not to mutilate our bodies. That would mean, for example, that women should not have breast enhancement. or cosmetic surgery that does not correct a defect of some type. Scar removal or returning a person to a more normal appearance is fine, for example treating a burn victim. But not because a person wants to look younger.

 

[Dale_M]

Although this hospital was sued and the plantiff won, I would wait to see what happens in the appeals process.

Masscup, I don’t think the lawsuit has been decided. The hospital, after first citing Catholic teaching, decided to back down on its own. The reasons aren’t fully explained, but perhaps their decision was on advice of their lawyers.

From the article, it seems the lawsuit will proceed. I think this is unfortunate, and I hope Hastings will re-consider after time.

 

[Dale_M]

I think you all should look up exactly what the Church teaches. Though it believes that a person’s gender does not change with sex reassignment surgery (the person undergoing surgery would agree as well, but for different reasons), it also says that because of the problems with gender dysphoria, suicide attempts, and depression, that in some circumstances the person should go through surgery. Look it up.

Musishane, what you say would certainly be a compassionate position. But I am not sure it is actually a Church teaching. Would you be willing to indicate why you believe it is so?