Alexandria Burris

Shreveport's 2014 mayoral candidates were asked if they would support providing health insurance coverage for transgender city employees for medical procedures related to gender reassignment surgeries.

People Acting for Change and Equality, the local gay-rights organization sponsoring the forum, asked them to provide direct answers.

Here is how they responded. A transcript is below.

Anna Marie Arpino:"Again, I digress to these are domestic unions from a legal state coming in here…"

(At this point, the audience and moderator interject. People, speaking over each other, explain to Arpino that the question requires her to consider a single employee, who happens to be transgender..Equipped with a short explanation, she finally answers.)

"OK. OK. I just wanted to digress so I could get to understand the question. (pause) Um. Yes."

Sam Jenkins: "Maybe" (The audience laughs and applauds.)

"You all are not — you're not going to let us explain, that's the best I can I tell you."

(Jenkins is told he can explain his answer as long as he answers the question. His explanation is below.)

"There are fiscal considerations that are involved there. I just think it would be irresponsible of me today to just sign up on something if I had not had the opportunity to really be advised on the fiscal impact this may have. Now the desire to make sure we're being fair with benefits to our people on my part is there. But, I do want to see the fiscal issues that would be involved.

Anna Marie Arpino: "Is this elective surgery?" (The audience laughs.)

Victoria Provenza: "I'm gonna to say — I'll give my answer as possibly, and here's the reason why: OK, cosmetic surgery, no. Cosmetic surgery is currently not covered. I'm a cancer survivor. I had reconstruction. I had a double bilateral radical mastectomy so I did get, you know, uh — and that was covered. OK now, we're going to move to gender reassignment surgery. It is very different than an elective cosmetic procedure because there are people who, their, um — the brain and the body are in disagreement — the way that they were — the sex that they were born with to the sex that they identify with. So, I think it goes far beyond me to understand the ramifications of policy and where that comes. And so, I would seek more understanding before making a decision."

Melvin Gerard Slack Jr.(Slack laughs.) "Let me get this straight first. Transgender — transgender surgery, you simply mean cutting the male part off or am I right?"

(Audience member: no, you're not right) "OK, well explain, well, well break that down to me."

(Adrienne Critcher: "When we talk about gender reassignment that includes…laughter from audience.")

"I was always told that if you don't know, ask."

"The surgeon is Lorena Bobbit," someone in the audience said. Critcher asked if a transgender individual in the audience would like to explain gender reassignment surgery to Slack. No one steps forward. The audience decided it would take too long to explain.)

Ollie Tyler: "I would have to agree with Sam and Victoria. I need more information about the surgery. And I need more information about the impact it would have on the individual. So, uh, today, I could not answer that question because I would need to do more research and have dialogue about, uh, what happened and how, uh, it could affect the individual. So that's my answer today."

Patrick Williams: "I'm very tolerant of that particular issue. But again, the only issue that I have there is the cost. That's something I would not I stand in the way of it, but I'd definitely consider it — just depends on the costs that it would costs the city of Shreveport."