This Week in the Mercury
Friday, July 24, 2009
Media / Politics Silverton Mayor Wears Skirt, TV News Goes Bonkers.
Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 4:26 PM
A tv news broadcast about Silverton's transgender Mayor Stu Rasmussen is running around the internets today. The clip discusses an official complaint filed against Rasmussen—not one relating to any sort of ethics violation or city policy. Instead, one resident complained that they mayor's skirt was too short. Rasmussen is America's first out transgender mayor and it looks like he's having to grapple lurid media coverage as much as he's having to overcome any political opponent.
Says Anne Yeager of KGW in the clip, "While in any other town he'd be turning heads and drawing jeers, in Silverton, it's perfectly acceptable."
Excuse me? Can we admit that we're past the era when a transgendered man immediately draws jeers in any American town? What about those exotic places like Portland, San Francisco and New York City? Hell, my favorite art teacher back in Iowa was transgender and she could walk down the streets of our 8,000-person town like it was "perfectly acceptable."
The editing of the piece is downright salacious, too, lingering for long moments on Rasmussen's skirt, actually zooming in on his fully-clothed breasts—obviously catering to audiences who will choke on their chewing tobacco and gasp, "Is that a man?!"
Rasmussen seems to be the only person in this clip with a level head on his shoulders, saying: "It's not my policies, it's not my intelligence and compassion I bring to the job. They worry about what I'm wearing. How trivial! How trite!" You tell 'em, Stu!
Most Commented on Blogtown, PDX
-
BREAKING: Here's Portland's New Transportation Director by Dirk VanderHart
-
Win Tickets to Blumesday! by Alison Hallett
-
Bill Nye: The Science Activist Guy by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey
-
Warped Tour: A Meditation on Aging by Alison Hallett
-
This Week in Sex by Rose Finn
-
What About Bob? Your Mad Men Recap by Jacob Schraer
-
NOT EVEN JOKING: Michelle Shocked Is Playing 2013 San Francisco Pride by Kelly O
-
Hitler on the Mounted Patrol: "Everyone Loves Horsies Even Though They Have No Functional Value" by Denis C. Theriault
-
New Die Antwoord Video: Yo-Landi's Ass Edition by Marjorie Skinner
-
Portland's Former City Forester Says City Officials Tricked Him. He's Suing. by Dirk VanderHart
Our Friends
- UrbanHonking
- Culture Shock
- Portland Roundball Society
- Steph Cassano
- Cort and Fatboy
- Street Roots
- Powell's Books Blog
- Portland Transport
- Portland Afoot
- Bike Portland
- Eater: PDX
- Portland Food and Drink
- Mr. Movie
- Sunday Softball
- BlueOregon
- Sightline Institute
- Ultra: Arts Portland
- Bitch Magazine
- Blazer's Edge
- Reading Local: Portland
- Portland Food Carts
- Stumptown Vegans
Our Enemies
RSSGoing to Seattle?
