Kicking off the week with good news for our Transgender community. First the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered North Carolina & West Virginia to end their discriminatory exclusions for coverage of gender-affirming medical care for transgender people in both states. Then the Kansas House voted to sustain Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of SB 233 which would have banned critical, medically necessary health care for transgender youth. Ezra Cukor, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Senior Counsel stated, “To be denied coverage for life-saving health care simply because you are transgender is degrading & humiliating. Trans people only want to get the same coverage for their health care needs as their co-workers. The court saw how blatantly discriminatory & wrong North Carolina’s policy was & found that the state employee health plan broke federal law & we are delighted with this outcome.” Plaintiff Shauntae Anderson, a Black trans woman & West Virginia Medicaid participant added, “West Virginia’s denial of medically necessary care just because of who I am was deeply dehumanizing. I am so relieved that this court ruling puts us one step closer to the day when Medicaid can no longer deny transgender West Virginians access to the essential healthcare that our doctors say is necessary for us.” Kelley Robinson HRC President concluded,
“Today was a needed relief for many Kansas families who have been facing the unthinkable possibility of having to flee their communities & their state so that their child can get the health care they need. Make no mistake, today was a win for young Kansans – a win made possible by the unwavering voices of transgender youth, their families, communities across the state & Governor Kelly, who remains committed to making Kansas a state for all.”
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