Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 12 March 2019
North Carolina sued again over transgender rights

Lambda Legal lawyer Taylor Brown addresses reporters to announce a lawsuit on Monday, March 11, 2019, in Durham, North Carolina, arguing that North Carolina's
state health plan for state employees discriminates by not covering hormone treatment and surgery for transgender people.
Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — North Legal lawyer leading the pending litigation. quired transgender people ment from his own body
Carolina is being sued case, who is a transgender The plaintiffs say the exclu- to use restrooms matching settled in.
again over its treatment woman. "To have to live sion of coverage for tran- their birth certificates. While "I used to not be able to
of transgender people, as in a world that perceives sition-related treatments that requirement was later take showers very often
state employees argue you, and that assigns you, violates the federal Title IX rescinded, a replacement because I couldn't stand to
that their health plan vio- as something that you're education law, the consti- law halts new local antidis- look at this body," he said.
lated federal law by drop- not ... It can make life unliv- tution's equal-protection crimination ordinances un- He started seeing a thera-
ping coverage of medical- able for many people. And clause and the federal Af- til 2020. Last year, a federal pist as a high school fresh-
ly necessary procedures. that's why we see such high fordable Care Act. judge allowed a lawsuit to man and soon was diag-
The new lawsuit comes suicide rates in the trans- "Transgender people are move forward challeng- nosed with gender dyspho-
amid unresolved litigation gender community." treated differently," Brown ing the replacement law's ria. Under medical super-
over North Carolina's so- The state employee health said in an interview. "They're moratorium on new local vision, he began socially
called bathroom bill and plan, which provides ben- not getting equal pay, in measures to protect LGBT transitioning to life as a
the law that replaced it. efits for approximately effect, for equal work." residents. Monday's lawsuit male before starting hor-
The lawsuit filed Monday 720,000 people, had cov- The Associated Press re- is another sign of the dif- mone treatments. Because
argues the health plan for ered the transition pro- viewed the lawsuit and ficulties still faced by trans- the health plan denies cov-
state employees violates cedures for transgender was granted exclusive in- gender residents. Among erage for a testosterone
federal health and educa- people for the year 2017. terviews with the plaintiffs them is 16-year-old Connor prescription, his parents
tion laws, as well as consti- But the lawsuit said cover- before the litigation was Thonen-Fleck, whose family must pay out of pocket.
tutional rights, by refusing age was excluded from the announced at a news con- is saving for chest surgery to Surgery to give him a more
to pay for hormone treat- plan for the years after that ference in Durham. affirm his masculine identity typical male chest would
ments and surgeries that it under Republican State In similar cases, Lambda that could cost more than be the next step.
once covered. The treat- Treasurer Dale Folwell, who Legal sued Alaska on be- $10,000 because it's not Still, his mother says, the
ments prescribed by doc- took office in 2017. half of a legislative librarian covered by insurance for treatment is "not optional
tors to treat gender dys- A spokesman for Folwell, and separately won a legal his parents, both state uni- for us," and every expense
phoria are described as Frank Lester, said in an email settlement for a New York versity employees. has been worth it. Remem-
life-saving by five current that a previous treasurer county employee, both of "I think we're mostly saved bering his Jan. 2, 2018, ap-
or former state employees, had voted with the health whom were denied cover- up now," Connor said in an pointment with an endocri-
along with two transgen- plan's board to cover the age for hormone therapy interview. "Obviously if we nologist to set the stage for
der dependents, who are procedures for a year, but or surgery. weren't saving up, I would his testosterone treatments,
suing. that no action was taken to The North Carolina law- have had it way sooner." she said: "That may have
"We have to think of it like extend the coverage un- suit comes amid a sepa- From an early age, Connor been more of a special
any medical condition der Folwell. Lester declined rate three-year legal fight said he felt uncomfortable day than the day he was
that is treated by a doc- to comment further on the over North Carolina's 2016 in the female gender as- born. It was so wonder-
tor and is diagnosed," said lawsuit, saying the office "bathroom bill," which in signed at birth, and by pu- ful to see him get what he
Taylor Brown, the Lambda generally doesn't discuss many public buildings re- berty a feeling of detach- needed."q