Silverton, Oregon, elects nation's first openly-transgender mayor

[Shana A]

Silverton, Oregon, elects nation's first openly-transgender mayor
by: RadicalRuss
Fri Nov 07, 2008 at 14:24:01 PM EST

http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=DFBA75F699609C35F49642CDC20682A8?diaryId=8075

It's Friday and this hasn't been posted yet?  I held off because I was sure someone else (Autumn?) would've blogged this by now:

    This election marked the first African-American President. The first time in 40 years an Oregon Senate candidate beat an incumbent Senator. And in tiny Silverton, Oregon, residents have elected the man who's believed to be the first ever openly transgender mayor in the United States.

    Stu Rasmussen served two terms as the Mayor of Silverton in the 1990s. But he hadn't admitted to being transgender. He's not the same man now that he was then. Today he wears a skirt and high heels. He has breast implants, and long red hair. He looks like a woman - but he's not.

[Emerald]

-Emerald 

[Janet_Girl]

Sorry Zythyra,

But I saw it and posted it on 11/07.  But I had not run across the CNN clip or the one from KGW, which is my hometown new station. Thanks Emerald

[Shana A]

Sorry Zythyra,

But I saw it and posted it on 11/07.  But I had not run across the CNN clip or the one from KGW, which is my hometown new station. Thanks Emerald

Hi Janet Lynn,

Nobody had posted this particular link yet, so I did. There are often multiple articles about the same news stories in this forum. Many thanks for posting about it too! Thanks Emerald also! And kudos to Stu for being hirself!

Z

[Rachael]

Great! a nutjob gets media attention and makes real transsexual women look like weirdos... im really really pleased 

[Stealthgrrl]

Sorry Zythyra,

But I saw it and posted it on 11/07.  But I had not run across the CNN clip or the one from KGW, which is my hometown new station. Thanks Emerald

Hi Janet Lynn,

Nobody had posted this particular link yet, so I did. There are often multiple articles about the same news stories in this forum. Many thanks for posting about it too! Thanks Emerald also! And kudos to Stu for being herself!

Z

HIMself. he identifies as male. He is transgendered, not transsexual.

[Shana A]

HIMself. he identifies as male. He is transgendered, not transsexual.

I've modified my above post to hirself. I debated whether to use that in my original post. I realize that Stu identifies as male, however to me this is one of those instances in which binary choices of pronouns feel woefully inadequate. I never implied that Stu was transsexual. Regardless of what gender Stu might be, he has my complete respect as being who he wants to be.

Zythyra

[Janet_Girl]

And it can create a problem for us who are Transsexual.  The general public will view us as being 'just like him'.  And that is not the case.

But maybe it will open doors to public awareness that we are not seen as some evil alien creature.

[Rachael]

zythyra... why not call him HE?

he says hes a he... not a she, not a hir, a HE. hes a MAN, the binary pronouns are fine... hes a man who wants to look like a girl, hes not between, hes not opressed. hes just a nutjob that doesnt need poloticaly correctness going mad over it and making him into something hes not....

[Sheila]

I think there is more to this than what we see on TV and the newspaper. For one, how did "he" get breast implants? I thought if you were male you had to have therapy and a letter to get surgery like that. You would think that for all these years "he" would have had some sort of therapy. Maybe he is just in denial still, about "his" gender. I'm not talking about GRS but who "he" really is. This is only my thoughts and was just trying to dialogue to make it more understanding to me, why a guy would get implants if "he"  just like dressing in fem. attire. I wonder if "he" is on HRT, too. I am not trying to down anyone, just trying to make some sense for myself.

[Rachael]

uh? breast implants dont require ANY letters or therapy... I remember a piece on tv about a guy who got a pair as a bet, and got free beer for life for it...

[Purple Pimp]

Yeah, I personally had a bit of a problem with this story as well.  I mean, in general, I support people's right to live as they choose... but quite frankly, a man talking about 'acquiring' breasts just because feels misogynist to me.

Lia

[RebeccaFog]

Hi,

  Huffpo posted an article on this at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/09/americas-first-transgende_n_142503.html

I was going thru the comments trying to correct assumptions and answer questions.  If anyone else wants to do some, just follow the URL.  You need an account, but it's free.


Posted on: November 09, 2008, 10:58:49 pm

I think there is more to this than what we see on TV and the newspaper. For one, how did "he" get breast implants? I thought if you were male you had to have therapy and a letter to get surgery like that. You would think that for all these years "he" would have had some sort of therapy. Maybe he is just in denial still, about "his" gender. I'm not talking about GRS but who "he" really is. This is only my thoughts and was just trying to dialogue to make it more understanding to me, why a guy would get implants if "he"  just like dressing in fem. attire. I wonder if "he" is on HRT, too. I am not trying to down anyone, just trying to make some sense for myself.

I had those questions also.

The implants entirely throw me off on this one.  Maybe they just haven't made the entire trip through self acceptance yet?

Posted on: November 09, 2008, 11:02:07 pm

uh? breast implants dont require ANY letters or therapy... I remember a piece on tv about a guy who got a pair as a bet, and got free beer for life for it...

If he had a brain, he would have gotten empty implants that he could refill and then spend the day roaming about drinking from his own breasts.

I wonder how a man breast feeding himself in public would be handled?

[Shana A]

  Huffpo posted an article on this at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/09/americas-first-transgende_n_142503.html

I was going thru the comments trying to correct assumptions and answer questions.  If anyone else wants to do some, just follow the URL.  You need an account, but it's free.

Thanks for doing your part to educate over there. Haven't read them all yet, but some of the comments are doozies!

I wonder how a man breast feeding himself in public would be handled?

LOL, not too many people would ask this question. 

Z

[RebeccaFog]

I wonder how a man breast feeding himself in public would be handled?

LOL, not too many people would ask this question. 

Z

It's my job. I'm performing a reality check.

[Rachael]

The implants entirely throw me off on this one.  Maybe they just haven't made the entire trip through self acceptance yet?

Why must he be secretly transsexual?


is it so hard to belive hes one horse shy of a derby?

[Stealthgrrl]

The implants entirely throw me off on this one.  Maybe they just haven't made the entire trip through self acceptance yet?

Why must he be secretly transsexual?


is it so hard to belive hes one horse shy of a derby?

LOL Starbuck @ one horse shy of a derby. It reminds me of that old Almond Joy commercial where the jockey is sitting backwards on his racehorse going down the track. Cos "sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't!"

[RebeccaFog]

The implants entirely throw me off on this one.  Maybe they just haven't made the entire trip through self acceptance yet?

Why must he be secretly transsexual?


is it so hard to belive hes one horse shy of a derby?

I don't have a problem with him either way.

What does a horse have to do with a hat?

[Sheila]

I really don't have any problem with him at all. I think it is great. I do wonder (oh no, wondering again) which restroom he goes in? He claims to be male but he looks like a great looking woman. I know it isn't against the law to use the restroom of your choice but does he still use the mens room? I just remember the last time I used the mens restroom. It was quite funny.

[Rachael]

great looking woman?


did you watch the same video as us?