Sex-change announcement causes controversy for city commissioner
Sam Smith
Issue date: 3/15/07 Section: ViewPoint
"What's the use of having names," the Gnat said, "if they won't answer to them?"
"No use to them," said Alice, "but it's useful to the people that name them, I suppose."
- Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass"
Life is more than the sum of its parts. This is the crafty tag-line to 2005's "Transamerica", an independent film about a transexual woman who was born a man. This alone would seem burden enough, but the true curse lies in the fact that she was born into America's society - one powered by double-edged hypocrisy hidden by the glossy shell of religion. There are no Hollywood endings here.
Early this month, the city commission of Largo, Fla., made a prime example of this country's bigotry. Steve Stanton, Largo's city manager for 14 years, revealed that he plans to undergo a sex change.
Not long after, the City Commission had a 5-to-2 vote to begin the three-step process of Stanton's removal.
"He's done a great job for us. He's done what we asked him to do and taken the heat over and over and over again and now we're going to turn on him," said Mayor Patricia Gerard, one of the two who voted against Stanton's removal,
"We're making a decision about whether we're going to be an inclusive and compassionate community, or are we going to be small minded and bigoted," Gerard said.
Those who felt otherwise argued the reasons for his removal were that Stanton's self-exposure "caused stress, turmoil, distraction, and work disruption" in the workplace.
Stanton ethically should have told the public about his being a transsexual before he was the City Manager (even if Stanton had told voters, common sense says he would not have been in office in the first place), and that will probably be the cold logic that will sway jurors' votes against his lawsuit of discrimination.
I understand the conflict that is made when an admired politician makes a confession to the public while in office instead of confessing before the votes were in but the obvious reason for Stanton's removal is that he is a transexual.
"No use to them," said Alice, "but it's useful to the people that name them, I suppose."
- Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass"
Life is more than the sum of its parts. This is the crafty tag-line to 2005's "Transamerica", an independent film about a transexual woman who was born a man. This alone would seem burden enough, but the true curse lies in the fact that she was born into America's society - one powered by double-edged hypocrisy hidden by the glossy shell of religion. There are no Hollywood endings here.
Early this month, the city commission of Largo, Fla., made a prime example of this country's bigotry. Steve Stanton, Largo's city manager for 14 years, revealed that he plans to undergo a sex change.
Not long after, the City Commission had a 5-to-2 vote to begin the three-step process of Stanton's removal.
"He's done a great job for us. He's done what we asked him to do and taken the heat over and over and over again and now we're going to turn on him," said Mayor Patricia Gerard, one of the two who voted against Stanton's removal,
"We're making a decision about whether we're going to be an inclusive and compassionate community, or are we going to be small minded and bigoted," Gerard said.
Those who felt otherwise argued the reasons for his removal were that Stanton's self-exposure "caused stress, turmoil, distraction, and work disruption" in the workplace.
Stanton ethically should have told the public about his being a transsexual before he was the City Manager (even if Stanton had told voters, common sense says he would not have been in office in the first place), and that will probably be the cold logic that will sway jurors' votes against his lawsuit of discrimination.
I understand the conflict that is made when an admired politician makes a confession to the public while in office instead of confessing before the votes were in but the obvious reason for Stanton's removal is that he is a transexual.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
E. Marshall Buckles
posted 3/15/07 @ 10:22 AM CST
Transsexuals are not "freaks" to be beaten up and hurt, however, they are people who, in my very strong opinion, have serious emotional problems and should not be in positions of great responsibility. (Continued…)
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