Protecting Rights. Demanding Justice.
At This Doesn’t Define Me, we are committed to protecting the civil liberties and human rights of marginalized communities through legal advocacy, strategic litigation, and bold action.
Fighting Back: Challenging Discrimination in Bartow County
In 2025, This Doesn’t Define Me filed a $1.5 million federal lawsuit against the Bartow County Sheriff’s Department and private medical contractor Correct Health Bartow, LLC to address egregious human rights violations against our founder, Bella Bautista, a transgender woman unjustly incarcerated and mistreated in the Bartow County Jail.
The complaint details multiple constitutional and civil rights violations, including false imprisonment, denial of medical care, and inhumane conditions of confinement. For 10 days, Bella was denied bail, refused access to medical treatment while vomiting blood, and placed in solitary confinement solely because of her gender identity—without cause, hearing, or due process. Officers referred to her gender identity as justification for segregation and denied her access to hygiene, visitation, religious services, and basic necessities.
This case is not just about one person—it’s about exposing systemic abuse and demanding accountability at the local level. Through this legal action, This Doesn’t Define Me is working to set a precedent: trans people deserve dignity, safety, and justice in every institution, including our jails.
This Doesn’t Define Me 