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Apr 22, 2021 - Politics & Policy

ACLU files suit against Iowa over Medicaid payments for gender transition surgery

Tina Reed
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks into a camera during the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Republican National Committee/Getty Images

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Thursday against the state of Iowa over a law that allows Medicaid to deny payments for gender transition surgery.

Why it matters: The suit is the latest volley in nationwide fight over transgender rights, ranging from access to medical care to the ability to compete on sports teams.

Details: The ACLU plans to argue that denying the surgery to transgender people violates equal protection rights, the Associated Press reports.

  • Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed the law in 2019.
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