Transgender prison inmate drops lawsuit, hopes for surgery

A transgender California inmate is dropping her lawsuit against prison officials while they decide whether she will be provided with state-funded sex-reassignment surgery.

Mia Rosati’s attorney, Alison Hardy, said Friday that her client can refile her lawsuit if prison officials decide against allowing the operation.

In October, California set the nation’s first standards for determining when transgender inmates should receive the state-funded surgery. Rosati could qualify without going to court.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in June that prison officials may be violating her rights by denying her the procedure.

The 60-year-old is serving a life sentence for murder at a state prison in San Diego.

California became the first state to agree to pay for surgery for another transgender inmate last year.