become what you are
DawnI remember the first time I ever went red. I was 16 and obsessed with My-So Called Life, and up to that point, copying Claire Danes’ hair color was one of the first real life decisions I was able to make for myself. Even though I didn’t see the color whenever I closed my eyes, I could feel it inside - it burned through me. I was suddenly a little bolder with everything I did.
I think of this when I ‘m quick to judge people, especially other women, who want to get boob jobs and face lifts. We live in a country where despite the insane costs of health care, lots of people are putting lots of money into expensive, dangerous elective surgery just to make themselves feel more like themselves.
So what’s the difference between plain Jane becoming a bottle blonde and Steve Stanton becoming a woman? His mentality will certainly change - he’s freeing himself from a life time of living a lie. He’s becoming the person he always knew he was. He’s courageous because he knew he’d be judged. The worst he could imagine happening probably is.
An entire city “lost confidence” in him because he made one of the hardest decisions anyone has ever been faced with - his decision to allow his anatomy to match who he is inside.
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February 28th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Very well put!
February 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
It is his character that matters, not his outside appearance. I could see him being fired if he had stolen or fire up a crack pipe at work, but c’mon there are too many issues more important this his name/gender. He must have been doing something right all these years.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
If you let a man who has a sex change stay in office it sends a clear message that the terrorist have won. Clearly y’all have not thought of the children. It’s all about the freedom.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
How would letting a man who has a sex change stay in office be a meaasge that the terrorist have won? Or are you being funny?
February 28th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Are you questioning the terror threat? Do you remember 9/11? This is obviously a ploy be the terrorists to undermine our freedom by removing genitalia. I bet it’ll be the lead story on the factor tonight.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
“Or are you being funny?”
I was aiming more for Flippant but i’ll take funny.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Sex changes are for pussies. He oughtta grin and bear it like the rest of us. Tall, lithe, attractive women, stuck in the body of a soft, pasty man, rendered impotent by the incessant glow of fluorescent cubicle lights.
But seriously, good point Dawn. Add Largo to the list of local town screw-ups. At least the cops didn’t tear down his home and then arrest him.
February 28th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I’m sure his son will value his father’s courage as he’s teased every day for the rest of his high school life.
February 28th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Kids will be teased no matter what. And as we can see in Largo and beyond, even some adults never grow out of teasing others.
February 28th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
if my anatomy matched who i am inside, id look like a squeezed lemon…
March 1st, 2007 at 11:48 am
[...] Other posts on the issue: Delightful Yank: Mary Gray Black strikes out. Delightful Yank: Andy Guyette is applying the military’s “don’t ask don’t tell” policy to city jobs. Alien Intelligencer: Stanton fired for thoughts, Nadine Smith arrested for free speech. Blurbex: He’s Not Even a Woman Yet and They’re Already Holding Him Back Pushing Rope: Stanton’s moving speech. Pushing Rope: The man behind the campaign to get Stanton fired is Pastor Charlie Martin of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks. Fan IQ: 60% polled say Stanton should be retained as City Manager of Largo. The World of Big Pauly: Who leaked the story? Technorati: 3,046 results (and climbing) from all blogs. Sticks of Fire: Largo no city of progress. Sticks of Fire: Mary Gray Black was elected by a difference of .005 (yeah five one-thousandths) of eligible voters. Go vote! Sticks of Fire: Stay true to yourself. [...]