Michelle N.Carter: Last News

Rainbow Week of Action” that will feature rallies across the country calling on governments to do more to support LGBTQ+ communities. Such events are part of a long history of LGBTQ+ campaigning and protest.

Jake Trevor releases sexy new single “Boyfriend” ahead of EP release. (Courtesy photo)

The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals today (Monday, April 29) affirmed two lower court rulings ordering North Carolina and West Virginia to end discriminatory exclusions for coverage of gender-affirming medical care for transgender people, Lambda Legal has announced.

filed a lawsuit against West Virginia officials on behalf of a Medicaid participant, Christopher Fain, who was denied coverage for gender confirmation surgery. That same lawsuit also previously challenged a similar exclusion contained in West Virginia’s state employee health insurance plan on behalf of two state employees who could not obtain coverage for gender-affirming treatments, either for themselves or their dependents.Lambda Legal subsequently added additional transgender plaintiffs to the case, including Shauntae Anderson.The state employee plaintiffs’ claims were eventually resolved by a 2022 settlement with The Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc., which removed its exclusion on gender-affirming care.The lawsuit subsequently resumed, challenging only the Medicaid exclusion.In August 2022, a federal judge ruled that West Virginia’s Medicaid program could no longer discriminate against transgender recipients by failing to cover the cost of surgical care deemed medically necessary for treating a person’s gender dysphoria.

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.A post shared by lukas gage (@lukasgage)Among those to congratulate Gage was Colton Underwood, another proud dog owner.