A federal appeals court has dealt a setback to Anna Lange, a transgender sheriff’s deputy in central Georgia seeking gender-affirming medical care through her county’s health plan.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a 2022 district court ruling that required Houston County to cover transition-related care and sent the case back to the lower court. Lange, a sergeant with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office since 2006, began transitioning in 2017 and sued in 2019 after the county denied coverage for surgery under a policy excluding “sex change” drugs and procedures.
“This should never have happened to me, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone else,” Lange said in a statement, calling the ruling “crushing.”
The appeals court cited the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in United States v. Skrmetti, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, ruling that such restrictions are not discriminatory if applied broadly regardless of sex. A dissent by Judge Nancy Abudu argued the majority’s reasoning echoed past defenses of interracial marriage bans and undermined bodily autonomy.
Lange’s attorneys expressed disappointment but vowed to continue the legal fight, stating they remain confident she will ultimately prevail.
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