Georgia agreed this week to start paying for transgender medical services for public employees, settling a lawsuit over the matter.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit moved to dismiss the case on Thursday in Atlanta federal court, saying they had reached a settlement with Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan.

The state insurance plan, which covers more than 660,000 state government workers, public school employees, and retirees, will now have to pay for transgender medical services for employees, their spouses, and their dependents.

The lawsuit against the state was filed back in December by two state employees and a public school employee who claimed the state’s health insurance plan illegally discriminated against trans-identifying people.

All three plaintiffs were trans-identifying women who identify as male and wanted surgery to remove their breasts, but were initially denied.

“The exclusion not only harms the health and finances of transgender people seeking gender dysphoria treatment, it also reinforces the stigma attached to being transgender, suffering from gender dysphoria and seeking a gender transition,” the lawsuit had argued. “The exclusion communicates to transgender persons and to the public that their state government deems them unworthy of equal treatment.”

Earlier this year, Georgia banned children from getting gender surgery or starting cross-sex hormones. Puberty blockers for children are still allowed under the law, which has been challenged in court, but remains in effect for now.

However, Thursday’s settlement means Georgia’s state insurance plan could end up having to cover transgender medical services for children out of state, even though such services are banned in Georgia, according to David Brown, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

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As part of the settlement, Georgia will also pay $365,000 to the plaintiffs and their lawyers. The plaintiffs say they spent their own money on services that should have been covered by the insurance plan.

The suit is one of several levied against Georgia’s state agencies attempting to force them to pay for transgender medical services. The state has already settled several of these lawsuits relating to its state health plans excluding transgender medical services.

Cross-sex hormones come with serious health risks including infertility, deadly blood clots, heart attacks, increased cancer risks of the breasts and ovaries, liver dysfunction, worsening psychological illness, and other serious conditions.

The number of gender surgeries nearly tripled in the U.S. from 2016 to 2019, according to an analysis published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. In 2016, there were about 4,550 procedures, and that number spiked to around 13,000 in 2019.

Matthew McConaughey has been granted a five-year restraining order against an “unhinged” female stalker who he said in court documents has been harassing him for almost two years.

A judge issued the protective order for the 53-year-old actor after he told the court that the woman had inundated him with “unhinged letters, emails, and frivolous lawsuits designed to lure me into court,” the Blast reported.

“These lawsuits were designed to lure me to court and come into contact with me,” McConaughey said, adding that the obsessed female believed the two were involved in a romantic relationship.

Matthew McConaughey is granted a five-year restraining order from woman who he says has been stalking him ‘unhinged letters, emails, and frivolous lawsuits’ and crashed his LA book signing https://t.co/ODH2fyUdGE

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) October 20, 2023

“I am concerned that (she) will continue to stalk me and potentially cause me physical harm,” he added. “Her past behavior is unstable and is also delusional since she believes we have a relationship and that she has co-authored my books.”

The “Dallas Buyers Club” star filed the restraining order ahead of several up-and-coming meet-and-greets the actor was having that he discovered the woman was planning to attend. He told the court one of the events he was specifically worried about was after she purchased a ticket that would have “afforded a photo opportunity which would place her in close contact with” him.

“She has purchased tickets to attend promotional events I am scheduled to appear at the week of 9/11/23,” he added. “She is delusional and poses a threat to all that attend.”

The “Interstellar” star also told the court that he had the person investigated and through that “investigation and her own admission, I learned that (she) has a past history of mental health issues and has spent time at a mental health hospital. My representatives have acted professionally and have advised her to stop contacting me,” the Blast noted.

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“Notwithstanding clear requests, she continues to send letters, emails, and other disturbing communications to my team as well as other third parties who are concerned about her next moves,” he added. “This includes her intentions when she shows up at public events at their establishments.”

The Daily Mail reported that the woman did indeed end up showing up to the event McConaughey warned about. Authorities informed her about the restraining order and she was led off the premises without further incident.