Transsexual City Manager To Be Fired
Dear Friends,
Below is a letter that I sent to one of the ministers who spoke against the retention of Steven Stanton as City Manager in Largo, FL this past week. As you will see, this minister does not agree with Stanton's decision to transition from male to female and wants him removed from his position as City Manager.
A little background is in order here. Stanton has served the city of Largo for 14 years as City Manager. By all accounts, he has done an excellent job to earn his annual salary package of $140,000. He manages the 1,200 employees working for the city--a city made up of 76,000 residents. Stanton was outed as a transsexual by some unknown person. When he arrived at work about a week before the Commissioners of the city met to decide his fate, he faced numerous press and TV media representatives. Stanton had planned to announce his transition at a later date. He had only told the Mayor, who supports his decision, and a few department heads on the city staff.
Stanton is married with one child, a 13-year-old boy. He has been through 3 years of therapy in preparation for the transition, which at this point requires Stanton to live as a female for one year prior to gender realignment surgery and breast implants.
The elected Mayor and six Commissioners for the city held an emergency meeting to decide Stanton's fate on Tuesday, February 27, 2007. About 500 people attended the meeting with many speaking to the Commissoners. According to the press, most who spoke asked that Stanton be removed from the position of City Manager. At least two Senior Pastors from local churches spoke against Stanton's retention. One of those pastors, Ron Sanders, represented the Lighthouse Baptist Church, a very fundamentalist congregation. The letter below was sent to him via snail mail. (I could not find an e-mail address for him or for the church he serves.) The other minister, Charlie Martin, represented the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, a mega church with an attendance of about 13,000 on a given Sunday morning. Both churches are in Largo, FL. I also sent Martin a letter similar to the one below to Sanders. I have included an exerpt from the letter to Martin to show how he misrepresents himself before the Commissioners and departs from the printed material describing the church he serves.
At the conclusion of the emergency meeting called by the City Commission, the Mayor and one other Commissioner voted to retain Stanton. The other five Commissioners voted to put Stanton on paid leave, the first step in the process of firing Stanton. Step two in the process will likely occur on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. If the vote of the Mayor and Commissioners go as expected, Stanton will be out of a job. (Five of the seven Commissioners, which includes the Mayor, must agree to the removal.)
Quite frankly, I am appalled that Stanton is being fired. Clearly, a phobia is at work here. I sent the Mayor and six Commissioners an e-mail expressing support for Stanton and encouraging them to consider his attributes for the city and not give in to the biases and prejudices of the crowd. According to press reports and people who live in the city, Stanton has worked wonders for the city. During his tenure, the city improved services and kept taxes at one of the lowest levels in the entire state of Florida. That is quite a feat.
Love, Annette
Here is the letter to Sanders:
Reverend Ron Sanders
10539 122nd Ave
Largo, Florida 33773-2204
Dear Reverend Sanders:
I am writing to let you know that I am concerned about the comments you made before the members of the Largo City Commission regarding the employment of City Manager Steven Stanton. I am a life-long Baptist, having joined a Southern Baptist Church when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior at age 13. As a Christian, I served in several Baptist churches in cities along the East Coast where my family and I lived. At various times, I was a Bible teacher of children, youth, and adults. I served on and chaired numerous committees. I am an ordained deacon and continue to be an active member of the church where my family and I live in South Carolina.
Frankly, I am becoming more and more embarrassed to acknowledge my affiliation with Baptists. I believe spokespersons like yourself inaccurately represent Jesus Christ with statements of the type you made at a hearing of the Largo City Commission. According to news articles, you said, ``If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he'd want him [City Manager Steven Stanton] terminated. Make no mistake about it.'' I am astonished that you put yourself in a position of being the spokesperson for the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I do not believe your words were spoken in love, nor do I believe that if Jesus Christ were present in person He would have asked for Stanton’s termination as City Manager, as you contended. The Christ you claim to speak for is not the Christ that I have come to know and love as the one in whom my salvation is guaranteed because I believe in Him. What I am most thankful for is His love for me.
I believe that God’s Holy Word teaches us to love one another no matter who the person is. I failed to see any sympathy or love for Stanton in your remarks.
Just how do we as believers in Jesus Christ serve Him and not give in to our biases and prejudices in situations like this? First, I believe we must put emotion aside. Had you done that, I believe you would have made a more Christ-like presentation before the City Commissioners. Taking the emotion out of an issue is not easy. I know. I have been there many times before. As humans we are emotional creatures. We simply must learn, however, to control our emotions. If we don’t, it is certain that our emotions will control us. Let me note that there is a distinct difference between being passionate about something and uncontrolled emotions. I am afraid emotion got the better of you in your presentation.
Second, we cannot represent others in any forum without their explicate prior approval. Only rarely does the leader of an organization have the prior approval to speak for all of its members. If I were a member of the Lighthouse Baptist Church, you would not have had the authority to speak for me. I would not have given that authority to you or to anyone else on a topic as important to me as the well being of our city. I believe that is true for many members of the church where you serve. At the Commission hearing, you were said to speak for a large group and therefore given 10 minutes to speak as opposed to the 2 minutes others were allowed. You did not deny that you were speaking for others in the Lighthouse Baptist Church. You should have stated that you were speaking for yourself as the Pastor of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. Instead, you wanted your comments to have more force, so you allowed the perception to persist that you were speaking for the entire congregation of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. That was not a humble moment.
Third, just how do we show the love of Christ through our actions and through our words in situations like this? Certainly, we do not do so by being vehement. It is amazing that we Christian conservatives seem to believe that all others must adapt to our form of religion to be “true” Christians. We seem not to be able to show compassion for those who see things differently. How do we think we will ever win non-believers to Christ if we do not show them compassion?
I heard David Edwards, a well-know Christian traveling evangelist, speak a few times in churches where I have been. In one of his talks, Edwards tells of the legalism that persisted in his life by being “religious.” He said he finally realized that Christ was not legalistic and that legalism makes Christians mean. Edwards turned away from religion and legalism and to Christianity in order to more clearly reflect the image of Christ. We would do well to heed Edwards’s example for it is the example that Christ set for us.
If you have read this far with an open mind, I say thank you. If you are ill at reading these words, I ask your compassion. The temptation here is to say, “Just who does this fellow (whom I do not know) think he is telling me his thoughts on my actions?” Well, in truth you may ignore me if you wish. If you care as I do about our calling to represent Christ, I think you will want to at least consider these words. I share these thoughts with you for more than one reason. I doubt any single person’s comments before the Commissioners of Largo on Steven Stanton’s tenure as City Manager persuaded the Commissioners to vote one way or the other on the issue. What really makes all the difference is our ambassadorship of Jesus Christ. Showing compassion for Stanton was, and still is, the right thing to do. We do not need to agree with Stanton’s decision to transition from male to female, but we certainly should show that we care about him as a creation of God and that we strive to further his and other people’s walk with Christ. That, I believe, is what Christ would have done.
Sincerely,
Signed
Here is an exert from the letter I e-mailed to Charlie Martin, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks:
Obviously, you want Stanton fired. According to news articles, you said, ``Stanton's continued employment will be devastating to Largo's reputation and future business interests.'' I think just the opposite. By keeping Stanton on the job, the people of Largo would show that they care about the diversity of their citizens. Stanton is clearly a hard-working, capable leader. Just look at what he has done for Largo in the past 14 years.
Contrary to your comments, business enterprises thrive on diversity. Clearly, a diverse population exists in Largo. The First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks already acknowledges that fact. The banner on one of the Web Sites for the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks reads, “Located in Pinealls, Florida, only minutes from the beach, our church is growing and a diverse community.” Another reads, “Indian Rocks is a caring, healthy, racially-diverse community, willing to change and take bold risks to spread the message of Christ locally and to the world.”
Doesn’t the leadership of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks want to minister to the diverse members of its community? Or is the church to serve only those people of the leadership’s choosing? Just what are the “bold risks” you are willing to take to minister? It appears the church leadership only wants to minister to those with whom they are comfortable.
Sincerely,
Signed
Below is a letter that I sent to one of the ministers who spoke against the retention of Steven Stanton as City Manager in Largo, FL this past week. As you will see, this minister does not agree with Stanton's decision to transition from male to female and wants him removed from his position as City Manager.
A little background is in order here. Stanton has served the city of Largo for 14 years as City Manager. By all accounts, he has done an excellent job to earn his annual salary package of $140,000. He manages the 1,200 employees working for the city--a city made up of 76,000 residents. Stanton was outed as a transsexual by some unknown person. When he arrived at work about a week before the Commissioners of the city met to decide his fate, he faced numerous press and TV media representatives. Stanton had planned to announce his transition at a later date. He had only told the Mayor, who supports his decision, and a few department heads on the city staff.
Stanton is married with one child, a 13-year-old boy. He has been through 3 years of therapy in preparation for the transition, which at this point requires Stanton to live as a female for one year prior to gender realignment surgery and breast implants.
The elected Mayor and six Commissioners for the city held an emergency meeting to decide Stanton's fate on Tuesday, February 27, 2007. About 500 people attended the meeting with many speaking to the Commissoners. According to the press, most who spoke asked that Stanton be removed from the position of City Manager. At least two Senior Pastors from local churches spoke against Stanton's retention. One of those pastors, Ron Sanders, represented the Lighthouse Baptist Church, a very fundamentalist congregation. The letter below was sent to him via snail mail. (I could not find an e-mail address for him or for the church he serves.) The other minister, Charlie Martin, represented the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, a mega church with an attendance of about 13,000 on a given Sunday morning. Both churches are in Largo, FL. I also sent Martin a letter similar to the one below to Sanders. I have included an exerpt from the letter to Martin to show how he misrepresents himself before the Commissioners and departs from the printed material describing the church he serves.
At the conclusion of the emergency meeting called by the City Commission, the Mayor and one other Commissioner voted to retain Stanton. The other five Commissioners voted to put Stanton on paid leave, the first step in the process of firing Stanton. Step two in the process will likely occur on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. If the vote of the Mayor and Commissioners go as expected, Stanton will be out of a job. (Five of the seven Commissioners, which includes the Mayor, must agree to the removal.)
Quite frankly, I am appalled that Stanton is being fired. Clearly, a phobia is at work here. I sent the Mayor and six Commissioners an e-mail expressing support for Stanton and encouraging them to consider his attributes for the city and not give in to the biases and prejudices of the crowd. According to press reports and people who live in the city, Stanton has worked wonders for the city. During his tenure, the city improved services and kept taxes at one of the lowest levels in the entire state of Florida. That is quite a feat.
Love, Annette
Here is the letter to Sanders:
Reverend Ron Sanders
10539 122nd Ave
Largo, Florida 33773-2204
Dear Reverend Sanders:
I am writing to let you know that I am concerned about the comments you made before the members of the Largo City Commission regarding the employment of City Manager Steven Stanton. I am a life-long Baptist, having joined a Southern Baptist Church when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior at age 13. As a Christian, I served in several Baptist churches in cities along the East Coast where my family and I lived. At various times, I was a Bible teacher of children, youth, and adults. I served on and chaired numerous committees. I am an ordained deacon and continue to be an active member of the church where my family and I live in South Carolina.
Frankly, I am becoming more and more embarrassed to acknowledge my affiliation with Baptists. I believe spokespersons like yourself inaccurately represent Jesus Christ with statements of the type you made at a hearing of the Largo City Commission. According to news articles, you said, ``If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he'd want him [City Manager Steven Stanton] terminated. Make no mistake about it.'' I am astonished that you put yourself in a position of being the spokesperson for the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I do not believe your words were spoken in love, nor do I believe that if Jesus Christ were present in person He would have asked for Stanton’s termination as City Manager, as you contended. The Christ you claim to speak for is not the Christ that I have come to know and love as the one in whom my salvation is guaranteed because I believe in Him. What I am most thankful for is His love for me.
I believe that God’s Holy Word teaches us to love one another no matter who the person is. I failed to see any sympathy or love for Stanton in your remarks.
Just how do we as believers in Jesus Christ serve Him and not give in to our biases and prejudices in situations like this? First, I believe we must put emotion aside. Had you done that, I believe you would have made a more Christ-like presentation before the City Commissioners. Taking the emotion out of an issue is not easy. I know. I have been there many times before. As humans we are emotional creatures. We simply must learn, however, to control our emotions. If we don’t, it is certain that our emotions will control us. Let me note that there is a distinct difference between being passionate about something and uncontrolled emotions. I am afraid emotion got the better of you in your presentation.
Second, we cannot represent others in any forum without their explicate prior approval. Only rarely does the leader of an organization have the prior approval to speak for all of its members. If I were a member of the Lighthouse Baptist Church, you would not have had the authority to speak for me. I would not have given that authority to you or to anyone else on a topic as important to me as the well being of our city. I believe that is true for many members of the church where you serve. At the Commission hearing, you were said to speak for a large group and therefore given 10 minutes to speak as opposed to the 2 minutes others were allowed. You did not deny that you were speaking for others in the Lighthouse Baptist Church. You should have stated that you were speaking for yourself as the Pastor of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. Instead, you wanted your comments to have more force, so you allowed the perception to persist that you were speaking for the entire congregation of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. That was not a humble moment.
Third, just how do we show the love of Christ through our actions and through our words in situations like this? Certainly, we do not do so by being vehement. It is amazing that we Christian conservatives seem to believe that all others must adapt to our form of religion to be “true” Christians. We seem not to be able to show compassion for those who see things differently. How do we think we will ever win non-believers to Christ if we do not show them compassion?
I heard David Edwards, a well-know Christian traveling evangelist, speak a few times in churches where I have been. In one of his talks, Edwards tells of the legalism that persisted in his life by being “religious.” He said he finally realized that Christ was not legalistic and that legalism makes Christians mean. Edwards turned away from religion and legalism and to Christianity in order to more clearly reflect the image of Christ. We would do well to heed Edwards’s example for it is the example that Christ set for us.
If you have read this far with an open mind, I say thank you. If you are ill at reading these words, I ask your compassion. The temptation here is to say, “Just who does this fellow (whom I do not know) think he is telling me his thoughts on my actions?” Well, in truth you may ignore me if you wish. If you care as I do about our calling to represent Christ, I think you will want to at least consider these words. I share these thoughts with you for more than one reason. I doubt any single person’s comments before the Commissioners of Largo on Steven Stanton’s tenure as City Manager persuaded the Commissioners to vote one way or the other on the issue. What really makes all the difference is our ambassadorship of Jesus Christ. Showing compassion for Stanton was, and still is, the right thing to do. We do not need to agree with Stanton’s decision to transition from male to female, but we certainly should show that we care about him as a creation of God and that we strive to further his and other people’s walk with Christ. That, I believe, is what Christ would have done.
Sincerely,
Signed
Here is an exert from the letter I e-mailed to Charlie Martin, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks:
Obviously, you want Stanton fired. According to news articles, you said, ``Stanton's continued employment will be devastating to Largo's reputation and future business interests.'' I think just the opposite. By keeping Stanton on the job, the people of Largo would show that they care about the diversity of their citizens. Stanton is clearly a hard-working, capable leader. Just look at what he has done for Largo in the past 14 years.
Contrary to your comments, business enterprises thrive on diversity. Clearly, a diverse population exists in Largo. The First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks already acknowledges that fact. The banner on one of the Web Sites for the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks reads, “Located in Pinealls, Florida, only minutes from the beach, our church is growing and a diverse community.” Another reads, “Indian Rocks is a caring, healthy, racially-diverse community, willing to change and take bold risks to spread the message of Christ locally and to the world.”
Doesn’t the leadership of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks want to minister to the diverse members of its community? Or is the church to serve only those people of the leadership’s choosing? Just what are the “bold risks” you are willing to take to minister? It appears the church leadership only wants to minister to those with whom they are comfortable.
Sincerely,
Signed
posted by Annette @ 3/04/2007 08:45:00 PM
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