More Stanton

So, my column in tomorrow's newspaper is about the Steve Stanton firing. Sometimes I go out of the way to try to ignore Topic A in each day's news, on the theory that there's enough being said about it already, but sometimes it feels unavoidable.

I try to answer what I think are the three themes voiced by those who supported Stanton's firing:

(1) Being a transsexual is a sin.

(2) Being a transsexual is disgusting to society.

(3) Being a transsexual is too disruptive for a city manager in a leadership position.

Meanwhlie, check out the lively comments to the Stanton post below, as well as those at the bottom of today's news story. My two favorites:

The Largo City Council has been working with Susan for years. She just LOOKED like Steve. (from Alexandra)

Give him a 20% pay cut, and hire him back as a woman. (from Maggie)

Comments

4) some people simply have to HATE -- anyone or anything different from them...PERIOD!!
imagine how is must be to live with them or how it must be to be children in those households!
truly firghtening, aint it?

Idle, thought. Is a man a man if he does not think as man? When is a man not a man? What defines a man? Is Largo Man different than Encino man? Man, oh man, what a trying time we find our in our time.
And Largo woman? [repeat refrain.]

[Senor]

Howard,

I like the pay cut idea. It wouldn't be long before she would be coming to work late and leaving early, I have to drop my child off at school and pick him up blah blah blah.

[BrandonPride]

(1) Being a transsexual is a sin.

Question: Who wrote the bible, man or God?

(2) Being a transsexual is disgusting to society.

Question: Do you mean are whole society every living being that is on this planet? Because I know some people who are more open to diversity than those who are afraid of change, or challenges to their beliefs?

(3) Being a transsexual is too disruptive for a city manager in a leadership position.

Question: Is that based on fact, or fear?

(4)some people simply have to HATE -- anyone or anything different from them...PERIOD!!

Question: Could it be once again they are afraid of change, or challenges to ir views and beliefs?

http://www.myspace.com/brandon_pride

[Carol Abernathy]

Takes me back to a time almost 40 years ago when my husband was representing a lesbian couple who were house painters. We hired them to paint our house. It took forever. During this time, one of them confided that she was in the process of becoming a man. (They had 9 children between them already.) We needed some carpentry, they called a friend who was going from male to female. We needed roof repairs, two friends showed up that were also changing. At one time, we had 7 workers, in all stages of their transition, part of a support group. They enjoyed telling us their life stories and medical procedures. They seemed well-adjusted, optimistic, and looked forward to being "normal." I hope things worked out for them. I would think that 40 years might have brought a little more understanding, but apparently not.

[Normal]

I would be curious to learn how many supportive comments are made by trans folks and how many are made by "normal" people just wanting to state their non-bias feelings. Be interesting... I'm "normal" and I just hate what they did to Ms. Stanton! What a disgrace for Largo (AND FLORIDA!)