Sex changed Mayor

[Marcie Sexton]

On the way home from work last night I herd on CNN Head Line News where a Mayor in New Jersey, I think, had a sex change operation.

She has told the press she has no intentions of resigning her office. < Nor should she >. It also seems that the majority of the residents of the town is fully supportive of her also. The residents don't care what the gender or if she has had the SRS, so long as she continues to do the job elected.

Personally I think this is great...perhaps we are seeing a trend of change and tolerance in the transgender community...A long over due change that hopefully will continue...:Party2:

Any one wish to comment ?

[Michelle Ellis]

wow that's great! It would be nice to think that things are moving forward for us...

M

[ChristineRenee]

I think you may be referring to Steven Stanton, the city manager from Largo, Florida. It's been in the news bigtime here the past couple of days. They are bringing in gender specialists to council his staff and co-workers regarding this issue, as most of them are totally shocked by his announcement. He has a wife and a 13 year old son. Apparently his wife isn't too thrilled about it at all...as you might imagine, and I don't believe that he has talked in depth yet with his son about it, but apparently plans to. A pastor in Largo was interviewed and said that Stanton would no longer be a male or a female, but an "it"! A sorrowful decision that he will live to regret. Interesting eh? :sad:

[Michelle Ellis]

oh, that's nice... an 'it'... :(

[Marcie Sexton]

You may be right Christine, I was pretty much driving on instinct and missed the location, but for some reason I was thinking it was in New Jersey...

An IT huh...well I'll be...Just when you think there is a speck of light at the end of the tunnel some one has to snuff it out...:Angry3:

I don't mean to judge, but I just wonder where Mr. preacher will end up when tthat day come along...:devil:

I suppose for now all we can do is continue to support and pray for equal rights...

[terrinoble]

I am so angry I could spit nails! :Angry3:

Stanton is being fired! (http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/28/Tampabay/Largo_officials_vote_.shtml)

Get a load of this screed from the pastor of the Lighthouse Fascist, er Baptist Church:
"Mr. Stanton is not a role model. He's proven that. I think for the sake of our young people today, you need to do what's right, and that's terminate him. ... If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he'd want him terminated. Make no mistake about it."
Who is he to speak for Jesus?

I despair for our world, when some would rather revert to the 1st century rather than progress into the 21st.

[Just Plain Kay]

I like this comment from "Anonymous":

Give him a 20% pay cut, and hire him back as a woman.

[loriannetucson]

Frankly, I firmly believe that Jesus would wrap his loving arms around her and look back at the others and say, "Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone." I'm sure everyone would quickly leave.

To use the famed "pastor's" words, "MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT," Jesus chose to minister to the lost, the hopeless, the poor, the oppressed, not to the self righteous.

I am utterly disgusted that they would vote to fire Ms. Stanton solely based on her being transgendered. There clearly seems to be a case for a lawsuit based upon civil rights violations. I wish her well and hope the LGBT community rallies behind her with overwhelming support.

She's got my vote!
Lori Anne

[jamie_44]

Bigotry, raceism, and stereotyping still prevail in America. I am glad that I am not one of the PERFECT majority!

[Scotty]

Frankly, I firmly believe that Jesus would wrap his loving arms around her and look back at the others and say, "Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone." I'm sure everyone would quickly leave.
Lori Anne


Amen.

The problem with church is that they interpret the bible and what Jesus would do to THEIR liking and if you don't conform to THEIR liking they throw it at you.

Churches are FAR too hypocritical for me. Those same people are going out to get drunk, beat their wives, and violate 9 of the 10 commandments tonight after church lets out, yet they will dictate how you should live YOUR life.

Then they'll pull up some thing about hwo they raped little boys but WAIT, HOLD THE FORT - JESUS HAS FORGIVEN THEM!

They still have to pay repetance to their victims though.

(I mean no disrepect to God or Jesus, only making a point that humans are power mongers).

[Marcie Sexton]

Yep a bigot, thats Jesus alright...

We see who has the holes in his hands and who doesn't...Maybe tar & feathers for that preacher...uhhhhh naw thats much too good for him...

[ChristineRenee]

It is absolutely incredible how ignorant and intolerant this country is about transgendered people...and in particular in this case...transsexuals. I hope something good can come out of this somehow, but as of right now this is yet another very shameful chapter in this country's history of treating those who don't "fit in" with mainstream America's ideal concept of American citizenry. :mad:

[claireswife-gg]

Please go here and send the commissioners a message.

The firing is not yet official, as they must vote one more time.
__________________________________________________ _
Shame on Largo!

Tell the Largo City Commission to Reverse Its Decision

In an outrageous act of bigotry, the Largo City Commission voted
(5-2) last night to fire City Manager Steve Stanton, a 17-year
veteran of the city who has been regularly praised as an
excellent manager. Last week, Mr. Stanton announced that he is
transgender and will be completing the gender reassignment
process in the coming year.

Largo Mayor Pat Gerard and Commissioner Wood were the two
dissenting votes and they both spoke courageously in support of
Steve.

Numerous Equality Florida supporters were in the chamber and
Nadine Smith, our executive director, gave moving testimony. See
it here:
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/webspecials07/video/stantonvideo/meeting1/

The room was packed by what is best described as an angry mob -
hundreds of whom were organized and sent by two
ultra-conservative mega-churches.

The commission's decision marks Largo as a backward thinking and
intolerant city, rather than the city's chosen nickname "The
City of Progress." The move to fire Steve is a blatant and ugly
example of the tremendous discrimination transgender people face
everyday and it illustrates the need for workplace protections
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

We do not yet know if Steve will appeal the decision, but it is
clear that the commission must hear from fair-minded Floridians
that their decision is wrong and must be reversed.

Two Things You Can Do

1.) Email Largo Commissioners. We've prepared an editable email
that you can personalize or send as is. Click here:
http://ga4.org/campaign/largomanagerfired

2.) Call Largo City Hall (727-587-6700) and express your support
for Steve and for workplace diversity. Tell commissioners that
its not too late to stop this discriminatory move.
--------------------------------------------------

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

http://ga4.org/join-forward.html?domain=Equalityflorida&r=w1A5lDs1fGsv

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
EQFL at:

http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/join.html?r=w1A5lDs1fGsvE

[loriannetucson]

Not trying to change the topic of this post, but religion clearly has relevance to this topic. Her firing clearly sets the stage for a fight, and we need to rally around Ms. Stanton's cause. And since I am a regular church attender and have a personal faith in Christ, after hearing "preachers" preaching this hate I have to remind myself that "that's not Jesus." Marcie, you put it perfectly... we see who has the holes in his hands and who doesn't. I don't go to church because of of flawed preachers and flawed congregations, I'm sure God's fully aware of all our flaws. I go to draw closer to God, and hopefully I will be able to show other "religious" people that even transgender folk can have a deep faith and belief.

Will I get the "if Jesus were here, he'd fire him, make no mistake about that," comments? I'm sure I will. But like it or not, our transgender generation is paving the way for those who are young or have yet to be born in the wrong body. Let's hope all of this, including the firing of Ms. Stanton, will amount to something productive. It would THEN be an utter shame if 20 years from now we see the exact environment against transgender folk we see today.

Lori Anne

[terrinoble]

Here is the NPR interview (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7648733) with Stanton.

[Donna O]

Hi as some one who sue an-exboss for a gender firing ( Oiler v. Winn Dixie) the Fedaral courts will be no help

[terrinoble]

To this day I will not shop at a Winn-Dixie because of the Oiler case. I was happy to see several of their stores close.

[Shellybean]

what is it about "priests" who have no idea what god is really like? I think hell is filled with them. Little does the "priest" know that there is a trans catholic nun out there.
hugz
michelle

[cindianna_jones]

I've written email and letters to Susan Stanton and to the city council. This is truly an outrageus situation.

It is a most unfortunate event to be sure. But Ms Stanton is a pioneer. It will take people like her to hold the barrage of insults and discrimination with honor and dignity for people to see the folly of their own bigotry and hatred.

Stanton did not leak this story by the way. A news agency did. Although Stanton was under the care of a therapist and was planning to transition, she had officially told no one at work and was working full time as a male until the day she was fired.

Cindi

[claireswife-gg]

Actually, she had told HR, the Mayor, the fire chief and the police chief.

this just in on tampabay.com -
CNN to feature Stanton case

Paula Zahn Now on CNN will feature the story of Steve Stanton, the Largo city manager who was fired seven days after announcing he is preparing for a sex change.

The show airs at 8 tonight.

CNN's Web site promotes the show saying: "A well-respected city offiicial may lose his job. Because he wants to become a she..."