The case also shows the pitfalls of liberalizing euthanasia laws.
Lois Cardinal is a male-born transsexual woman who underwent surgery in 2009, during which her penis was made into an imitation vagina. This is not a rare operation, but it also often happens that those who go under the knife have to live with unbearable pain afterwards.
The artificial vagina is often an open wound that needs to be expanded daily to prevent it from boiling over. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lois Cardinal said she was in constant discomfort and pain, which had already led to psychological problems, and stated that she did not want to continue without proper medical care.
The transsexual woman therefore applied in Canada to be added to a list of patients who have chosen euthanasia, that is, to end their lives with medical assistance. However, 35-year-old Cardinal was rejected by doctors, who said there was no reason for euthanasia.
Doctors believe the program in question is reserved for people with terminal illnesses or disabilities, and because there are options to alleviate the pain of gender reassignment surgery, Lois Cardinal is ineligible for the program.
Cardinal also presented the medical papers on his social media page.
According to the opponents of euthanasia, the case showed not only the pitfalls of gender reassignment surgery, but also the liberalization of Canadian euthanasia laws in 2021, which, according to estimates, paved the way for a record number of 13,500 state-sponsored suicides last year. Campaigners have expressed concern that more people like Cardinal will be applying to the program instead of the traditionally terminally ill.
Incidentally, the transsexual woman has recently become an active critic of radical LGBTQ ideology, warning that children and other vulnerable Canadians can be easily influenced and become victims of an extremely dangerous trend.
