Friday, November 30, 2012

Felon lawmaker Laughton calls it quits on TV Thursday, parallels Tom Alciere

By MARYALICE GILL
Staff Writer

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/985485-469/felon-lawmaker-laughton-calls-it-quits-on.html

NASHUA – Stacie Laughton, who made history this month as the country's first openly transgendered candidate to win a seat in a state Legislature, signed a letter to give up her post Thursday, calling it a "tragic end."

"I am deeply saddened that it had to come to this," Laughton said, "but as I said earlier this resignation is in the best interest of myself, my party, the citizens of my district, and I'd even go as far as to say the state of New Hampshire as a whole. My wish is that we can just move on from here."

Laughton joined Nashua state Rep. Ken Gidge during his Access Nashua show "Gidge's World" to announce the final decision, after she had wavered back and forth about giving up the seat after news surfaced that she had served several felony convictions under the name Barry Charles Laughton, Jr.

-----

It's Final: Laughton Resigns State Rep Seat

After taking a day to consider her options, Stacie Laughton has decided it's not her time to serve in Concord.

    By Carol Robidoux
    November 29, 2012

http://nashua.patch.com/articles/it-s-final-laughton-to-resign

As tumultuous as the past week has been, it is nothing compared to the soul-searching Stacie Laughton has been doing for most of her life.

On Thursday, she ceremoniously signed her letter of resignation on camera, at the Access Nashua cable access TV station. State Rep. Ken Gidge, a fellow Democrat and friend, was her witness.

It read simply, "I regret to inform you that I am unable to fill the State Representative seat for Hillsborough County District 31 to which I was recently elected."

And then Laughton took about an hour to tell her story.