The ACLU Defends the Rights of a Convicted Child Murderer to Change Genders

When I was a wee liberal lad sitting at my father’s knee, I would listen to my parents wax rhapsodic over all things left-wing. And of course, like Beowulf, Thor, or Hercules, the ACLU was presented to me as one of the most important heroes in the pantheon of the Left. Of course, that was in the ’70s, when the Left still embraced some semblance of values and common sense, or at least pretended to do so. But in the name of gender, and perhaps equity thrown in for good measure, the ACLU has plunged to depths that even the most hardened and cynical conservatives would have thought impossible.

Reduxx reports that Autumn Cordellioné, aka Jonathan C. Richardson, is serving a 55-year sentence for the murder of his stepdaughter, who was 11 months old. By way of a brief recap, friends visited Richards on the night he murdered the girl in 2001. He claimed she was sleeping but was still playing loud music. He had also a fresh tattoo of the child’s name carved into his arm. It was still bleeding. Later that evening, Richards asked his neighbors to call 911, as the child was unresponsive. Paramedics were able to resuscitate the girl, who died after being transported to the hospital. Richardson told the police that he had first discovered the problem after doing some chores. In a later interview, he claimed that he tried to calm the child by tossing her up in the air. He said her head “bopped” back and forth. The girl would not stop crying, so Richardson shook her aggressively. An autopsy showed that the girl died by manual strangulation. Richardson would later tell a jailer, “…all I know is I killed the little f****ng bitch.”

Read that quote again. Slowly and aloud, if possible. Keep it in mind as you read the rest.

Richardson, who at some point must have realized that he was never going back to life as he knew it, seems to have discovered the magic incantation that would pave the way to special treatment and potential martyrdom. He, of course, decided that he was a woman. But Richardson was denied the surgery he wanted. The incident occurred in Indiana, and a law that took effect on July 1 prohibits the Indiana Department of Corrections from providing such surgery to inmates. According to Reduxx, although he is housed in a men’s facility, the state is providing Richardson with hormone therapy, bras, panties, form-fitting clothes, and makeup. Makeup. For a man who said,  “…all I know is I killed the little fucking bitch.”

Of course, the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in on Richardson’s behalf and filed suit against the Indiana Department of Corrections. The lawsuit notes:

Richardson was apparently diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2020, but the suit claims that he “suffered from depression and anxiety caused by her gender dysphoria and by her recognition that she is a woman trapped in a man’s body.” The suit also claims that Richardson has “engaged in self-harm and has attempted suicide because she could not stand the fact that her sex at birth fails to match the fact that she is a woman and cannot tolerate her male body.” And here are the ACLU’s demands of the court:

Let us set aside for a moment the fact that this will all be at the taxpayers’ expense. Perhaps this may sound callous to tender ears and hearts, but why should anyone care if a man who murdered an 11-month-old girl and referred to her as a “little f****ng bitch” is dealing with depression and anxiety? This man needs to face his guilt.

Back in my reporter days, I made friends with the local jail commander. He told me that many prisoners are experts at trying to game the system. They are studious manipulators. And yet, the ACLU has seen fit to affix its banner to this man’s cause.

That someone, whether or not they are trans or just a trans supporter, should take up this man’s cause is odious beyond words. Mr. Richardson does not deserve transition surgery. He does not deserve special clothes, feminine underwear, or makeup. At best, he deserves to serve out his sentence with nothing more than meals, a bed, and access to a toilet. Some might convincingly argue that even those considerations may be too charitable. By taking the life of an 11-month-old child, Richards has demonstrated that not only should he be prevented from ever having contact with another human being ever again, but that he should only be afforded the barest of necessities. He has forfeited his rights to anything. He has no business making demands or requests of anyone. He acted like a wild animal. He deserves to be treated as such. This is not about transitioning. By breaking the social contract and, for that matter, the dictates of human decency, Richardson surrendered any rights to special clothing, treatment, or elective surgery. Period. Full stop. He should never even breathe free air again.

Related: What’s Wrong With Casting ‘Trans Women’ for Hollywood Roles?

One would think that by now, the ACLU and the transgender lobby would have understood that there are those among the ranks of the transgendered people who have found cover for their basest desires and excuses for their crimes under the trans banner. And one would think that these groups would see fit to purge their ranks of such people. One would think that the trans community would say that Richardson is not one of their own and cast his name from their membership. One would think. But the trans community has so far apparently remained silent. And the ALCU has seen fit to champion the rights of a child killer and forget the 11-month-old girl who died at his hands.