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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!


 

Comments (7) RSS

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1
I believe you're using the wrong pronouns to describe Mayor Stu Rasmussen. I believe she prefers feminine pronouns.
Posted by anomalily on July 24, 2009 at 5:06 PM · Report
2
Though I have no evidence to back it up, I'm convinced that KGW's audience is 60+ and extremely right wing - at least those are the only people I've ever met that watch it. I guess if they have to reach such lows for ratings that's their problem, at least Mayor Rasmussen has the right idea about it... screw 'em.
Posted by RobertWagner on July 24, 2009 at 5:11 PM · Report
3
For fuck's sake, Mirk. If you're going to get self-righteous about trans issues, get your pronouns straight.
Posted by A CAT, probably on July 24, 2009 at 7:44 PM · Report
4
From http://www.examiner.com/x-12237-Transgende…

"Rasmussen, mayor of Silverton, Oregon, and reportedly the first openly transgendered mayor in the United States, expresses his gender as female — with a female hairstyle, clothing, and even breast augmentation — but uses a male pronoun.

“I identify mostly as a heterosexual male,” Rasmussen told KGW of Portland upon his election as mayor last November. “But I just like to look like a female.”
Posted by christi on July 25, 2009 at 2:29 AM · Report
5
He's a bad ass. Anyone who doesn't like Stu should really examine the root of their principles. And then, if they still don't like him, they should eat a bucket of dicks. And then fuck off. Assholes.
Posted by Will Radik on July 25, 2009 at 4:11 AM · Report
6
I just wanna go on record as saying that dude (er, dudette?) is a total fucking badass. It takes huge balls (or a strong desire to lose said balls) to show up to such a political position dressed up like the daughter of Carrottop and Kathy Griffin.

Transgender Stu! Fuck yeah!
Posted by Earnest "Nex" Cavalli on July 26, 2009 at 3:09 AM · Report
7
I don't have AC either, and I'm thinking about dressing like that myself, not cause I'm transgender, but because I'm hot, (not as hot as Stu, but then I don't have breasts, or let TV cameras try to look up my skirt.)
Posted by Matthew D on July 26, 2009 at 7:46 AM · Report

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