"The Portland, Ore., city council voted on Wednesday to cover the cost of sex-reassignment surgery for municipal workers in its health-care plan. Portland is only the second major city, after San Francisco, to offer surgical benefits to its transgender employees. But the move comes at a time when surgery has become less relevant to many, if not most, of those who define themselves as transgender."

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/09/health-equality-portland-embraces-transgender-rights/

I'm interested about what folks at Susan's think about this last statement, "But the move comes at a time when surgery has become less relevant to many, if not most, of those who define themselves as transgender."  I have not looked up any statistics, but this statement surprised me and I wonder if it is accurate or not.

Well in keeping with the new 'separate, but more than equal' I'd say the statement is correct.  While not important at all to any transgender, it's of critical importance to transexuals only.

And, I'd also like to add that SF did this 10 years (a decade) ago.