A woman who battled the IRS over a tax deduction for the costs of her sex-change operation says she feels like she won a victory for all transgender people after the U.S. Tax Court ruled Tuesday that she should be allowed to write off the medical procedures.

The decision, which comes nearly 18 months after Rhiannon O’Donnabhain first initiated the suit, could have broad implications for transgender people. The plaintiff, who was born a man, filed the lawsuit against the IRS after the agency rejected a $5,000 deduction for approximately $25,000 in medical expenses connected with the gender reassignment surgery.

O’Donnabhain became a woman after 20 years of marriage that produced three children. The former Coast Guard reservist was diagnosed with gender identity disorder in 1996 after seeing a therapist. She continued with intensive counseling, as well as hormone treatments, in the years leading up to her sex-change operation in 2001. In filing her claim, O’Donnabhain argued her medical costs were no different than someone undergoing heart surgery or an appendectomy.

The IRS, however, disagreed, stating that the surgery was a cosmetic procedure and not medically necessary.

Members of the medical community took O’Donnabhain’s side, and the U.S. Tax Court ruled that O’Donnabhain should be allowed to deduct the costs of her treatment for gender-identity disorder, which included both hormone treatments and sex-reassignment surgery. The legal group Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), who represented O’Donnabhain, said the ruling could potentially affect thousands of people in the U.S. who undergo similar procedures each year.

Lady Gaga has reportedly confirmed that she is in fact a hermaphrodite, according to Bossip, a popular gossip website. Video from a recent performance at the Glastonbury Festival indicates that the pioneering singer and fashion diva accidentally revealed she has male and female parts when she inadvertently flashed the crowd from stage.

The dance hall diva reportedly said about the subject, “It’s not something that I’m ashamed of, just isn’t something that I go around telling everyone. Yes. I have both male and female genitalia, but I consider myself a female. It’s just a little bit of a penis and really doesn’t interfere much with my life. The reason I haven’t talked about it is that it’s not a big deal to meI think this is a great opportunity to make other multiple gendered people feel more comfortable with their bodies. I’m sexy, I’m hot”

If the rumors are true, fans are left to wonder, why hasn’t she had plastic surgery to choose sides? Perhaps because she’s comfortable in her skin. In May, the Poker Face temptress told Rolling Stone, “I think I’m changing what people think is sexy.”

A hermaphrodite, by definition, is an organism born with both male and female sexual organs. Scientific data shows that as many as 1 in 2,000 children are diagnosed with ambiguous external genitalia, of whom a small percentage undergo “sex reassignment” surgery in infancy.

So why didn’t Gaga’s parents decide on gender reassignment for her as a small child, making her fully female? The answer remains a mystery. And the whole thing, some media outlets say, is one big publicity stunt by a celebrity who knows how to dominate the spotlight.

Whether or not rumors are true, Lady Gaga isn’t the only famous “female” who has faced he/she gossip. Jamie Lee Curtis, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Mae West each endured similar rumors. At least the Just Dance damsel is in good company. It will certainly be interesting to hear more on this new discovery, and to learn more about her ideas on correcting chromosomal confusion.

Editor’s Note: This story has been edited since its original release to clarify that there is no evidence, nor quote from a reputable news outlet, confirming Lady Gaga’s intersex status. We regret the error.