Minnesota Sued for Not Covering Medical Cost of Gender Reassignment

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota gay rights advocacy group and a transgender man are suing the state for its ban on public health programs covering gender reassignment procedures.

State law bans state funds from going toward transition procedures for residents who suffer gender dysphoria, in which people feel the opposite of their biological sex.

OutFront Minnesota sued in Ramsey County on Thursday for 63-year-old Evan Thomas of St. Paul. OutFront says the ban treats transgender men and women as inferior and should be overturned.

Thomas, who was born a woman but now identifies as a man, is a Medical Assistance enrollee who was denied surgery to remove breasts earlier. He was granted a legal gender and name change in July.

Minnesota's Department of Human Services says it's reviewing the lawsuit.