Keep Prisons Single Sex just had a crowdfunder to help Rhonda raise £1,000 to cover the costs of filing. The target was reached quickly.
The text from the crowdfunder (now closed):
KPSS is supporting Rhonda in bringing her legal action against women's prisons housing prisoners of the male sex. At this stage we are crowdfunding to enable her to cover the costs of filing. This is her statement:
Hello, my name is Rhonda Fleming and I am a women in a United States federal prison that allows biological males to share showers, toilet areas, and prison cells with women.
I love everyone and I mean this from my heart. However, prison should remain single sex for the common good of our society.
Women inmates experience sexual harassment and abuse from these men, of whom many are in prison for violent & sexual crimes. Many have committed violent crimes against women and in fact do not like biological women.
I am in the process of authoring a civil complaint, to be filed in the United States District Court, in the Northern District of Florida, asking the district court to grant a declaratory judgment that it is unconstitutional to house biological male inmates with female inmates.
I was raised by parents that NEVER taught hate or discrimination against any group of people. I have several family members that are part of the LGBTQ community and none of them support men being in prison with women. In fact, lesbian women in prison, have been my biggest supporters and protectors in this battle.
I would greatly appreciate your financial support to pay the court filing fee and additional costs. It is my goal to continue to petition law firms in Florida to litigate this case. But for now, we have to lean on each other and get this matter before a judge.
Thank you so much for your support!
Rhonda Fleming
You can read more about Rhonda here:
www.keep-prisons-single-sex.org.uk/rhonda-fleming-florida
I felt so sick reading the story of prison guards warning female inmates to 'expect sexual violence' a while back, and then finding out that FOI requests were being blocked, so this is one to keep an eye on in case we can help the women in the US in any way at all.
From the KPSS link, Rhonda says:
" I have personally experienced sexual harassment, threats of assault after I filed a lawsuit, and physical intimidation by male inmates in the prison. Once a woman makes it clear that she is not interested in befriending or hanging out with these men, they become petty, like a little boy that is rejected in grade school. It is a frightening experience because these men are not petite, effeminate males, but large, strapping, aggressive, criminal-minded men, violent inmates. "
She's so brave doing this. I hope she's being kept safe, and wish her the best of luck.