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Monday, June 6, 2011

SEX Sexual Politics: Insurance Should Cover Sex Changes

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 1:53 PM

sexualpolitics-2.jpg
Hey Blogtown friends, I'm starting up a new weekly column about sex politics in Portland. I often cover LGBT, reproductive rights, and gender issues in the paper, so now once a week I'll use this column to editorialize about a recent relevant news story in that vein. Look! It even has my face on it. If there's a topic you think I should cover, let me know!

Mayor Sam Adams created quite the stir last week when he announced that he will push Portland City Council to sign off on expanding the city's insurance to cover sex changes. Local media actually did a decent, straightforward job of covering the issue, but online commenters lost their shit, comparing the gender reassignment to insurance paying for Michael Jackson to change his skin color or someone getting a forehead implant.

Every Portland city commissioner should vote in favor of expanding the city's healthcare to fully cover transgender employees when it comes up at city council this Wednesday—and they shouldn't see it as a vote to appease an extremist fringe.

While sex changes certainly still strike many people as bizarre, when it comes to the world of insurance rates and medicine, insurance paying for sex changes isn't actually a radical idea. The American Medical Association (hardly a wild and crazy bunch) agreed in 2008 that insurance should cover sex changes. As soon as you accept that gender identity disorder is, in fact, a medical disorder—something that mainstream doctors have agreed on for over 30 years—then it makes sense to say insurance should cover the doctor-recommended prescription for the problem... even though it involves icky, icky body parts.

Already, 85 major corporations require their insurers to cover sex changes, and it's surprising to see how not-radical-at-all most of those companies are. Congratulations, city of Portland! A "yes" vote this week will make us as progressive as Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America!

But that's not the way most people seem to see it. Even though big companies and public entities like Multnomah County and the city of San Francisco have backed transgender employees' right to nondiscriminatory healthcare, the employees themselves are worried about a private doctor-patient issue becoming a public, personal fight.

Usually when public employees push for an issue—like expanding their healthcare—we see big rallies and public calls to action. But what's marked this campaign is its quietness. There are zero current city employees going on the record in news stories to say, "Yes, I need insurance to cover my sex change."

Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director Jeana Frazzini says blog comments show exactly why trans employees have decided to not be out and loud about their situation: They're worried about the kind of backlash gay workers would have faced two decades ago. The city is poised to make a move more progressive than many Portlanders' mindsets, and that creates a pretty scary pressure.

"There is a tension here between moving forward with the kinds of policies that are necessary for healthy, supported lives, knowing that the public education isn't where it needs to be," says Frazzini. As politicians begin to accept being as LGBT-friendly as Kraft Foods and Coke, regular Portlanders need to move into the new mainstream, too.

 

Comments (22) RSS

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1
Does this new column supplant "Sarah Mirk, Hippie Bikefucker," or have you added a second beat?

Because if it's the former, I have a tattoo to cover.
Posted by Commenty Colin on June 6, 2011 at 1:59 PM · Report
2
Haters gonna hate.
Posted by guspasho on June 6, 2011 at 2:20 PM · Report
3
CC I have it from an unreliable source that Smirk was seen driving round town in a brand new Hummer cranking Brokencyde...

RE: Smirks actual post:
I think people are confusing "covered by insurance" with "insurance paying for the whole deal". Am I wrong to assume there must be a gigantic co-pay for this procedure?
Posted by Abusive on June 6, 2011 at 2:26 PM · Report
4
I wrote somewhere recently (and somewhat ironically) that people are making waaaay too big of a deal about comment writers on news stories.

By and large, we are angry, impotent, know-it-all cranks who are only here because no one will listen to us IRL. However, thanks to comments and tweets being lazily reported more and more as news (and certainly not for the first time in this country), the stupidest and loudest among us are getting attention far out of proportion to our actual numbers.

Posted by Commenty Colin on June 6, 2011 at 2:49 PM · Report
5
@CC - Sorry, I can personally Sharpie over your tattoo at Thursday night karaoke.

@Abusive - They haven't worked out the details at that level. An interesting comparison is the city of San Francisco, whose insurance has covered sex changes since 2001. The Human Rights Campaign has a bunch of numbers and analysis here: http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/benefi…
Posted by s.mirk on June 6, 2011 at 3:14 PM · Report
6
I must say I was surprised by the corporations listed that cover the procedure.
I believe that public workers health benefits should generally reflect the coverage of those who pay the ins for them - the taxpayer.
I still remain uneasy with the idea of public money being used for elective surgery.
Is this coverage offered by the Mercury for its' staff?
Posted by frankieb on June 6, 2011 at 3:42 PM · Report
7
I don't think many people's concern about this issue is whether or not insurance covering such procedures is radical, I think it's people's concern that filling potholes and paving streets and providing basic (and competent) public safety seems to be the radical idea in this city. It's kind of a Maslow's hieracrcy of needs thing: fix the traditional city issues like providing water, roads, transport and shelter before you start holding pressers about some minor change in the city employee insurance.

To summarize: Mayor Adams - your proposal seems perfectly valid, so just throw it on the consent agenda and put it in place. Spare us the sexual politics press conference and stop riling up the yahoos in the 'burbs in a effort to get some director job with LGBT groups if you lose the election. And fix the pothole on my street.
Posted by Number Six on June 6, 2011 at 3:53 PM · Report
8
Speaking of the Blogtown meet-up, I am not familiar with that part of town and I was wondering what there is for public parking around there.
Posted by ujfoyt on June 6, 2011 at 3:55 PM · Report
9
Oh, Best Wishes on your new column Sarah.
Posted by frankieb on June 6, 2011 at 5:32 PM · Report
10
Application of Sharpie followed by brief application of crème brûlée torch = cheap and easy tattoo substitute.
Posted by Todd Mecklem on June 6, 2011 at 9:53 PM · Report
11
@ Sarah, that's a nice new banner you have and all, but it made me think of some other possible new column ideas:

http://tinypic.com/r/1zwndht/7
&
http://tinypic.com/r/xd9l3k/7
Posted by Commenty Colin on June 6, 2011 at 11:29 PM · Report
12
@ Frankieb: I find the elective surgery argument amusing. Knee surgeries are covered by most insurance companies, and they are often done to allow people to continue to enjoy recreational activities like running or skiing. On the other hand, this type of surgery would be done to allow someone to fit into society, and feel comfortable in their own body. No one bats an eye at the knee surgery. Regardless, the premise is false. People don't choose to be transgendered, they are born that way.
Posted by Condemno on June 7, 2011 at 8:33 AM · Report
13
@ Condemno +1,000,000,000
Posted by Commenty Colin on June 7, 2011 at 9:26 AM · Report
14
@CoCo: Damn, I thought *I* had way too much time on my hands.

At least I think that's time.
Posted by Todd Mecklem on June 7, 2011 at 10:14 AM · Report
15
Condemno-
Alot of people would feel better in society with a boob or nose job too. Think of the pain they must endure everyday because nature didn't see fit to make them as they'd like to be seen.
Covered too then?
Posted by frankieb on June 7, 2011 at 10:24 AM · Report
16
@ frankieb: commencing troll feed:

Do you really think the practically life-defining alienation that comes with a lifelong strong feeling that you were born into the wrong gender's body is really comparable to a purely cosmetic desire for a better nose?

You've said a lot of silly bullshit around here in the past, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised, but damn, that's one thoughtless, asshole opinion you've got there.

Posted by Commenty Colin on June 7, 2011 at 10:31 AM · Report
17
PS I find comparing knee surgery to a sex change operation pretty damn amusing.
Posted by frankieb on June 7, 2011 at 10:33 AM · Report
18
You argue that elective surgery should not be covered. I'm pointing out that there already are many elective surgeries that are covered for people that are not transgendered. In fact, hormone replacement therapy is covered... provided you are not transgendered. Mental health is covered... provided you are not transgendered. It's discriminatory.
Posted by Condemno on June 7, 2011 at 11:50 AM · Report
19
+1,000,000,000,000,000 on the banner ideas, Colin.
Posted by Paul Cone on June 7, 2011 at 6:01 PM · Report
20
I have no problem with them wanting the insurance to cover the transgender surgery. Its what will make them happy in life.
Posted by chaplainmisty on June 7, 2011 at 8:31 PM · Report
21
Interesting to see that the city self-insures most of its employees; how does the cost compare to the employees insured by an outside insurance company?

Multnomah County's policy, as well as the city/county of San Francisco show that the procedures will probably not be utilized that often.

And a lot of procedures are done so people will function in society - isn't any procedure done to reduce pain or improve bodily function similar to sex reassignment surgery? All are done to enable the person to function better in society.

Then again, the same people will complain about women getting epidurals during childbirth, since the Bible says that women should give birth in pain - the Bible is full of *allegories*, not literal...
Posted by LawyerPepper on June 7, 2011 at 10:32 PM · Report
22
Gloria Steinem said, "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."

When men want fake tits, plastic surgery will become a sacrament.
Posted by BornACat on June 9, 2011 at 8:28 AM · Report

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