Transsexual in Florida: Apparently Not the Man for the Job
Someone explain this to me: This guy (for now) in Florida is a perfectly fine city manager for 14 years, until he says he’s getting a sex change. And then he’s incompetent?
Yeah, the Largo City Commission in Florida (is there anything weird that doesn’t happen in Florida?) is preparing to fire City Manager Steve Stanton because he plans to undergo a sex-change operation.
And no. No truth to the rumor they’re considering hiring Anna Nicole Smith as his replacement. That’s a whole different Florida story.
I’ll be honest. It might take me a little getting used to if someone I knew as a man became someone I knew as a woman. But what does that have to do with being a good city manager.
I’ll give the city commissioners some credit. At least they’re not trying to be clever. They’re just pretty much coming out and saying it. This guy is gone because he’s not going to be a guy anymore.
“I do not feel he has the integrity, nor the trust, nor the respect, nor the confidence to continue as the city manager,” Commissioner Mary G. Black told The Associated Press.
What? It couldn’t be because Stanton is not who he says he is. Stanton already figured that out. That’s why he’s having an operation to become who he always felt he was.
Is it because Black has no faith in the integrity, trust , respect of confidence of a woman in a key government role?
Oh wait. She is one. In one. So, it could be that.
I’ve read a number of news stories about Stanton’s firing and I’ve yet to find a reasonable explanation for why he couldn’t continue as city manager.
My favorite, if you must know, is from Baptist Pastor Ron Saunders, who attended the public meeting concerning Stanton’s firing. He went all WWJD.
“If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he’d want him terminated,” he said.
What that must be like, to know what Jesus is thinking — guaranteed.
The blogs are on it, of course — here’s a satirical piece on Saunders’ thinking and a ton of links. Here’s a petition aiming to save Staton’s job. And another.
Others have suggested that as a member of the weaker sex, Stanton would lose the ability to lead city workers.
Really? Just think if everyone decided they wouldn’t work for anyone who made them feel uncomfortable. Or that they wouldn’t work for people they didn’t like, or for people they thought were weird, or for people they didn’t respect.
Would any of us have jobs?
City Commissioner Andy Guyette, according to the New York Times, had a pretty good tap dance on his vote to can Stanton.
“Mr. Guyette said he feared Mr. Stanton, who supervises about 1,200 employees, could not lead the city without favoring his supporters,” The Times story said.
Can you imagine? A top political appointee favoring his supporters? Sounds like the end of the world to me.
(Photo of Stanton by The Associated Press)
I heard an interview with Stanton last night (on NPR? I don’t know, I drive too much).
The “integrity” and “trust” questions seem to have to do with Stanton being outed by the local paper. Stanton had taken the mayor into his confidence.
The actions of the city commissoners revolts me.
I am also a transgendered woman and have been for 3 yrs and now working for a cable company in Florida. Before this I was a Deputy Sheriff in Pasco County Florida and Transitioned on the job too.
I too experienced the same response from the public but not to the extreme that Stanton had. I was a cop for 11 years before I transitioned on the job.
At first everyone was supportative telling me they had my back, but when the media got involved they told them they had “no comment.”
So for 6 months I worked as Rachel before resigning because I felt my safety was at risk. I was on a domestic call and ended up struggling with a person I was arresting and requested backup.
Backup never arrived and eventually I had subdued my suspect and get the cuffs secure. Once the cuffs were secured I cancelled backup.
I was later pulled aside by my LT and told a disturbing story about my backup responding to my location. He informed me that a deputy had checked out at my location to help but when he noticed it was my cruiser the deputy just drove away.
From that day forward, at every shift meeting, my LT would stand up and remind everyone to be nice to me which I had never asked for such as “Don’t let me catch anyone not backing up Deputy Coy!” “I wanna keep my job!” and my favorite “Don’t say anything derogratory to rachel or she’ll sue us!”
The friends who I had at first, started to turn their backs on me and not associate with me after that for fear I would sue them. I never told anyone I would sue them and I knew that it take time for people to get used to the change.
I worked the streets for 6 months and by that time no one was speaking to me except for work related calls and the purchasing department that was suppose to get me a vest the was contoured to my 38DD breasts some how was mysteriously cancelled, so I was working without a vest for 6 months.
In 2003,after a meeting with my LT, I decided to resign after pressure from my position with the Sheriff’s Office. My LT informed the media I had resigned for personal reasons and that I was a good cop. He wished me luck in all my endeavors.
Google search Deputy Glenn Coy to follow story.
Anyway, to comment on Stanton’s position even though I don’t know him personally, the commission was discriminatory against Stanton.
I attended both the request for and firing of Stanton. Not one person that spoke for the firing could provide documented proof of Stantons conduct as City Manager. Everyone, said he did a wonderful job as a City Manager.
I can know this won’t end with his firing. This is probably going to the supreme court for civil rights issue. This is not only a medical condition, this is a racist and discriminatory issue and Largo just stepped back into the 1800s in equality for everyone issues.
Who would even want to work for a city like that with commissioners as shallow as they are. Well, I can’t say that for everyone, I have to applaud the Mayor and one of the other commissioners who backed Steve up. not because he’s a transsexual but because it was the proper thing to do.
Its about everyone in general from different races, genders,ethnic backgrounds,and people who have physical abnormalities. Whats next is Largo going to discriminate against their handicapped citizens? Better yet, why don’t they fly a Nazi Flag instead of their Largo Flag in the court yard.
Everyone knows that the Hilter tried to wipe out a world to create a perfect human being and the commisioners had attempted just that when they discriminated to someone who was different then they were.
I could go on and on!
It makes me sick!!!
Rachel