The Minnesota Department of Health is putting together “Healthy Minnesota 2020,” a statewide health improvement plan that aims to improve the health of Minnesotans. The words gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, HIV or AIDS are noticeably absent from the document.

Even a section about school safety does not touch on issues of sexual orientation or gender identity, or bullying.

The document addresses a rage of health issues in three sections: A Healthy Start for All: Capitalize on the opportunity to influence health in early childhood, An Equal Opportunity for Health: Assure that the opportunity to be healthy is available everywhere and for everyone Communities, and Empowered to be Healthy: Strengthen communities to create their own healthy futures.

The Healthy Minnesota 2020 paper mentions being modeled after the Obama Administration’s Health People 2020 which devotes a section on LGBT health.

The Minnesota Department of Health is soliciting public comments on the document from July 17 to 19.

It appears that the Healthy Minnesota 2020 document avoids LGBT issues because the Minnesota Health Assessment, conducted in April 2012, also left out LGBT Minnesotans.

That report stated, “Because most state and national surveys do not ask questions related to sexual orientation or gender identity, it is difficult to estimate the health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth and/or adults in Minnesota.”