Well, not if you happen to be a transsexual, it would appear. A friend of ours has emailed me news of what has just happened in Largo, in Florida, where she lives. The City Manager, Steve Stanton, has been removed from his post. His crime? He is a transsexual who wishes to proceed to become female. And for that, the bigots in Largo have been out in force. People such as Peggy Schaefer and Ron Sanders. Over to Peggy:
"I don’t want that man in office," she said. "I don’t think we should be paying him $150,000 a year when he’s not been truthful. We have to speak up. Of course, we don’t believe in sex changes or lesbianism. They have their rights, but we do, too."
And Ron:
"Mr. Stanton is not a role model. He’s proven that. I think for the sake of our young people today, you need to do what’s right, and that’s terminate him. … If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he’d want him terminated. Make no mistake about it."
While there have been voices of moderation – such as the Reverend Abhi Janamanchi:
"Do not give in to extreme pressure, because there is such a thing as the tyranny of the majority. … Make this judgment based on sound ethics, compassion, humanity, and truly show commitment to diversity."
– the end result is that the City Commissioners voted 5-2 to remove Stanton from his post. Another victory for bigotry and intolerance. God bless America?
Geoff Coupe's Blog 
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