Rochester mayor Lovely Warren announced this month that the city is adding transgender healthcare benefits for city employees and their families.

Effective on the first of January, the new coverage will allow those enrolled in the city medical plan to receive treatments related to gender reassignment surgery, such as reconstructive surgeries, hormone therapy, and psychological and medical counseling. Patients may receive treatment from any facility listed in the city’s medical plan, including urgent care facilities–a health care sector that sees as many as 160 million patients each year.

“Eliminating barriers to health care is simply the right thing to do,” said Warren. “The city was the first to support domestic partnerships, and I am happy that we lead the effort to equalize benefits for all once again.”

Last year, Rochester updated its non-discrimination policy to address gender expression and gender identity, establishing a mayoral liaison with the LGBT community.

However, the progressive decision wasn’t entirely met without controversy. Two local radio personalities outraged the community when they ranted on the air for 12 minutes about their opposition to the city’s decision. Rather than discussing whether such procedures were really medical necessities or cosmetic choices, though, the pair berated the transgender community.

“The dude can look like a lady, and the city is going to pay for it,” said one host. “Your tax dollars at work!”
After swift and outraged reactions across social media, the pair were fired, effectively showing that the majority of the Rochester community supports the rights of the Transgender community. The company issued the following statement upon the DJs’ termination, saying “Their hateful comments against the transgender community do not represent our station or our company. We deeply apologize to the transgender community, the community of Rochester, and anyone else who was offended by their hateful comments. We are proud of our past work on behalf of the local LGBT community and we remain committed to that partnership.”

“Rochester has long been a leader on LGBT civil rights,” executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda Nathan M. Schaefer said. “This is just one more example of how this great city sets a strong example for the rest of New York state.”

[Image courtesy of Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley.]