This is funny.. you guys are enraged because a few of us here have family oriented morals.
Some of you are making assumptions that I am Christian because I refer to the bible.. Sorry I didn’t mean to elude to that.. But I still know and understand the bible and what it teaches, and you guys can try to spin your ideas all day long but we both know who’s wrong here.. If you’re so correct, why don’t go to a church service and try to convince the audience of your ideas.. And if you’re going to quote the bible, why not quote the 10 commandments or some good ole stories like Sodom and Gomorrah. Get real!!
Dan - 26 February 2007 11:13 AM
(and from an earlier post)
And what about mother nature?? Evolution is the evolvement of a species. A species would fail to evolve if the male and females only had sex with their same gender. Where do gay people fall into the evolutionary scale? they dont!!!
Funny thing Dan, I seem to have a similar problem but in the opposite manner. Just because I believe in Jesus Christ, people seem to think I must believe in the Bible and they’d be dead wrong. I think the Bible is a good map and reasonable reference book, but outside of that, it’s a fairy tale at best and a bastardized plot at it’s very worst. AND, thank you very much, but I get more than enough socialization with the sinners and heathens during the week that I don’t need to ruin my weekends with them as well by going to church services.
Referring to your earlier post about procreation and evolution, that’s an interesting mix, btw, but of course the species would fail if it depended strictly on the same gender, but I’ve never heard anything from any of my Gay friends about any plots to anniliate all the Straight people. Of course they might not tell me considering...but still. I really don’t think that is a problem. I really think that Gay men and Lesbian woman simply want to be recognised as having basic human rights. But then again, that isn’t the topic of this forum. This particular forum is dedicated to discuss Steven Stanton and his/her quest or persuit to change sexes from a man to a woman. If you would like to discuss other topics please fell free to open the topic of your chioce in any open area.
Unfortunately, fear is driving so many individuals in this country. Fear is the underlying message among the many commentators on this board. I feel sorry for you. I cannot claim to fully understand the feelings Mr. Stanton must have as for the importance of changing sex. Yet I deeply respect his strength to achieve what he wants in life. That is more than a majority on this board would ever accomplish. I would like to encourage everyone to see beyond their own lives and beliefs, and respect the will of this man. Don’t accuse him for putting his son through this. I have no doubt the father-son bond is strong enough to go through this. Most importantly, do not allow for religious leaders to openly promote discrimination, becuase that truly is what the matter here is. By announcing that an individual cannot do a job because of gender, these otherwise trusted individuals are committing a sin on their own. Calling for a resignation just so that city staff will not have to call the City Manager by a female name is nothing but small-minded. Church and state are different - right?
I live in Florida because of the climate. Period. If I put any emotional stock as to the level of intelligence around me, I’d need counseling. The case with Stanton further pinpoints the vast ignorance in our area, and the lack of compassion among the individuals who claim to be religious. If I’m ever lucky enough to call myself a father, I will high-tail out of Florida as soon as I possibly can.
I call bull crap. I’m in higher education and a few years ago, it was tolerate the gay lifestyle. Ignore it. Now it’s celebrate the gay lifestyle, let’s have gay days, gay clubs, and teach how it’s equal to heterosexual relationships. NOT EVEN CLOSE. If Largo wo/man wanted to be ignored he wouldn’t be forcing employees to go to indoctrination...uh...sensitivity training. I will never embrace freakishness.
I must have missed something. Stanton is “forcing employees to go to sensitivity training”? Please provide a source for that. From what I’ve read, Stanton didn’t want all this publicity, but the press “outed” him. As far as gay relationships being the equal of heterosexual ones, they’re probably much closer than you think.
You may never “embrace freakishness”, but what if such a person called on you for help? What would you do, run away? Turn your back?
I call bull crap. I’m in higher education and a few years ago, it was tolerate the gay lifestyle. Ignore it. Now it’s celebrate the gay lifestyle, let’s have gay days, gay clubs, and teach how it’s equal to heterosexual relationships. NOT EVEN CLOSE. If Largo wo/man wanted to be ignored he wouldn’t be forcing employees to go to indoctrination...uh...sensitivity training. I will never embrace freakishness.
I must have missed something. Stanton is “forcing employees to go to sensitivity training”? Please provide a source for that. From what I’ve read, Stanton didn’t want all this publicity, but the press “outed” him. As far as gay relationships being the equal of heterosexual ones, they’re probably much closer than you think.
You may never “embrace freakishness”, but what if such a person called on you for help? What would you do, run away? Turn your back?
The final step I must take prior to gender reassignment surgery (also known as a sex change) is to live as a woman for one year, he told employees. I know this will be very awkward for all of us and the Human Resource Department will begin providing training to address your concerns and answer your questions.
These trainings are NEVER voluntary. I don’t like to see men dressed as women or becoming women. It’s perverse. God invented men to be men, not metrosexuals or women. It’s pure crap that my HR dept. is going to try and force me to believe it’s acceptable. I will not be brainwashed.
If a person needs help, I help them, and then they need to go away from me. If they want to be gay, or have two wives, or become the opposite sex, they can donit where I don’t have to see it. I certainly don’t want my children reading about it in grade school. I will not embrace the sickness and that is what you liberals want.
These trainings are NEVER voluntary. I don’t like to see men dressed as women or becoming women. It’s perverse. God invented men to be men, not metrosexuals or women. It’s pure crap that my HR dept. is going to try and force me to believe it’s acceptable. I will not be brainwashed.
Then answer me this. What did God make hermaphrodites for? Who should they date so you won’t be offended? This person has a woman’s mind and a man’s body. Do you even understand the mechanics behind this situation?
Have you considered moving to a small deserted island so you don’t have to worry about things offending you?
Have you considered that it may not havae been Stanton’s decision to have that training for the people around him? Have you also considered that you might actually learn something?
This has absolutely nothing to do with what you like to see. If you feel it’s perverse it’s only because you were taught wrong and could certainly use that training to open up your eyes.
With all the problems we face with rising property taxes, sky-high property insurance premiums forcing businesses to leave and take their jobs with them, crime, traffic congestion, and all the other issues facing us every day, it makes no sense whatsoever to fire someone of this caliber, someone who, by all accounts, has been doing, and continues to do, a great job. We should keep Stanton and tell him to keep up the good work. The people we really need to get rid of are all the religious bigots who want him fired because of their religious bigotry and extremism. Saudi Arabi, Iran, Iraq, and the Taliban all ban the trans-gendered. Now their fellow travelers here in the US want to bring this extremism and fanaticism to Largo. THEY are the ones who should get up and leave and let real Americans get on with our lives.
I think everyone should start minding their own business and stop trying to interfere or make a name for themselves unless they have all the facts and can prove those facts. No one can prove that homosexuals, transgenders, religious extremists or anyone has a negative effect on society. The negative effect on society is people like yourselves that choose to slander and ridicule what you don’t agree with. I think we have all forgotten over the last decade or so that this is America and our constitution’s 1st Amendment - not fifth, not second, not last - is the freedom of speech and Expression.
There is nothing wrong with having an opinion nor speaking that opinion, but please do not ridicule just state your opinion. Please do not teach your children that only your opinion is correct, let them have their own opinion’s, let them grow up knowing tolerance and form their own opinions. let them make the right choices for them.
As for Mr. Stanton I applaud your bravery and am deeply saddened by the fact that it is being called bravery at all. It is an expression of who you are not what type of City Manager you have been and would continue to be. I do not live in Largo, however I would push to keep you in office. That would be like firing or even talking about firing a women who has had a lumpectomy or just a breast reduction because she was not comfortable with her body. Do we fire people for nose jobs, eye lifts, tummy tucks - NO we applaud them and tell them how great they look. A little hypocritical don’t you think?
Tolerance is key,. we all need to re-learn the meaning and try instituting it in our daily lives.
“Tolerate - 2. to RESPECT (others’ beliefs, practices,e tc.) without sharing them” as defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary
The final step I must take prior to gender reassignment surgery (also known as a sex change) is to live as a woman for one year, he told employees. I know this will be very awkward for all of us and the Human Resource Department will begin providing training to address your concerns and answer your questions.
These trainings are NEVER voluntary. I don’t like to see men dressed as women or becoming women. It’s perverse. God invented men to be men, not metrosexuals or women. It’s pure crap that my HR dept. is going to try and force me to believe it’s acceptable. I will not be brainwashed.
If a person needs help, I help them, and then they need to go away from me. If they want to be gay, or have two wives, or become the opposite sex, they can donit where I don’t have to see it. I certainly don’t want my children reading about it in grade school. I will not embrace the sickness and that is what you liberals want.
I see you quoted from Mr. Stanton’s email. OK, good. So what’s wrong with the training? Like it or not, this is the reality of the world we live in. The HR department’s job is to explain what company policy is, and this is primarily discrimination policy and workplace conduct, not to “force you to believe it’s acceptable”. You can still believe whatever you want, you just have to follow company policy.
Your children will have to deal with this reality, so they’ll have to be told of it sometime. It’s better that it come from you, and not the school.
Please tell me what is wrong with all of you!!!!!!!! I cannot believe you are such bigots. Mr. Stanton was doing his job just fine, then someone outed him and you want him fired. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! You want us to teach our children tolerance but yet you cannot practice it in real life. The co-workers of this person knew what he was about for years. This is not like he is gay. Mr. Stanton DID NOT CHOOSE to become this way. He was born this way. I am ashamed of the reaction of the people in this area. Who cares what is on the outside...... he is getting the job done. Is it a question that the operation is expensive and he wanted to use his insurance? Please.... If you let him go, you are letting everyone down. I do not even live in Largo, I live Hernando County and grew up in NY where people are tolerant. You all should try it. We all want the law on our side when it serves us, but when one of our co-workers is “different” well, we can’t have that - can we? I feel for Mr. Stanton in so many ways. He has a tough road ahead. His wife is embarrassed and his child cannot possibly overcome the ridicule of the situation at hand. By firing him, you would make everything WORSE - not better. Leave the man alone. You may find out that he is and will become a more productive member of the office after his operation. We all have issues about ourselves, many of them are secret. Mr. Stanton tried to lead a normal life for years to fit in. We need to give him understanding and support. Not a pink slip. He needs his job for the same reasons we all need to work for self esteem, and to support our family. If you fire him you will all suffer in the end. The bigotry and hatred must stop sometime. Let’s start now. Put yourself in his place and see if you get the same answer. He is an upstanding member of a wonderful community. If you see him on the street or his family give him the respect he deserves as a human being. Do not taunt his family. This is really no ones business but his. Let him keep his job and work through what he needs. PLEASE SHOW COMPASSION. This is no different than firing someone with a major medical problem that would cost you alot of money and you don’t want to pay it. Well, too bad. Every life is worth something. I just wish you could see the value that this man has brought to your town.
Your comment that it’s nobody’s business but his own, is inaccurate. He is holding a PUBLIC office as City Manager. Yes, it is our business! And if he wanted to keep it quiet he would have resigned FIRST and THEN had his operation and NO ONE would have been the wiser. He would have changed from man to woman, it wouldn’t have been in the news and he definitely would not be getting all the flack that he is now.
Instead he CHOSE to make it public. He wanted to make a ‘statement’ and a stink! Therefore he suffers the consequences of HIS decision and ill timing.
No I don’t feel sorry for him due to his irresponsible decision making. But I do feel sorry for his family.
People where is our compassion, our tolerance and our humanity? Steve Stanton has been hailed as an admirable City Manager. All he’s asking is for us to open our minds and our hearts and recognize this very difficult personal decision and allow him to continue to do the job he was hired to do. Mistakes are made at birth. It happens more often then citizens are aware. And as other writers have stated we have bigger issues to deal with as Floridians. Let’s turn our attention to property taxes, health care issues, homelessness, the insurance crisis and our transportation woes. Such a waste of energy to put this fellow through such hell.
Instead he CHOSE to make it public. He wanted to make a ‘statement’ and a stink! Therefore he suffers the consequences of HIS decision and ill timing.
No I don’t feel sorry for him due to his irresponsible decision making. But I do feel sorry for his family.
I’m getting tired of correcting the facts for those of you who choose not to read what really happened yet want to trash the man for things that didn’t happen.
He did not choose to make it public. He was threatened by the press with being outed and had no choice but to beat them at their own game by publicly telling the truth before it was revealed in a way he could not control. I don’t call that irresponsible on his part. It is certainly irresponsible on the part of the press, to use the situation to make news and nevermind his family getting hurt.
How come you didn’t know that? How come you are posting lies? Does it make you feel better to trash this entire family? That is sick!
I don’t believe he’s asking for anything other than to be left alone and allowed to do the job he was hired to do. He’s not having a problem, it’s those surrounding him that are.
