As of about five minutes ago, Susan Stanton has been passed over for another city manager job in Florida.
Some of you might remember her story: as the city manager of Largo, FL for around fifteen years, Stanton fostered economic development, brought multimillion dollar businesses to town, and was so well regarded that the city once begged Stanton to withdrawal an application for another city manager job (about five years ago) and gave her a substantial raise in order to keep her on the job. Without question, Stanton was one of the most highly regarded and effective city managers in the state, and her job performance was praised by everyone from elected officials to citizens' advocacy groups to the Changer of Commerce.
But that was when Susan was still known by her birth name: Steve.
As Steve Stanton, Susan was a fantastic city manager. But once she announced her intention to undergo sexual reassignment and live openly as Susan, she was unceremoniously fired by the city of Largo. The decision was reviewed at a subsequent city government meeting, and the bigotry of some citizens proved more than enough to erase over a decade of exceptional work.
Recently, the city of Sarasota began looking for a new city manager, following the resignation of the controversial past manager. Stanton's name immediately came up, as she was available and imminently qualified. She was one of the three finalists for the position.
Now, Sarasota's city commission is undeniably progressive. Sarasota was one of the first cities in the country to pass a resolution calling for the repeal of the Patriot Act. The city runs a sustainability program more impressive than most any in Florida.
But the city has its problems. It's considered the Meanest City in America, with regards to how it treats its homeless. The economic stratification here is unbelievable, largely due to an out of control housing market, and the racial segregation here is so plainly visible it's shocking (all white/all black neighborhoods that have been so for eighty years, for example, sometimes all it takes is crossing a street).
The city needs new leadership, and hiring Stanton certainly could have highlighted what is great about this city and helped to fix what was wrong.
Like I said, Stanton was a top-three finalist. When the vote was taken to narrow the field to two, only one commissioner, himself a member of the GLBT community, supported her.
Perhaps I was wrong to be rooting for Susan over the other candidates--by any measure, all three were well-qualified and would likely perform very well as Sarasota's city manager--but there was a great chance here to show that our entire state is not populated by mindless bigots who'd cut off their noses to spite their faces. I'm sure the new city manager will be perfectly capable, but I'm certain his selection (it is a male, the only male among the top-three finalists) won't send as positive a message about our community as selecting Stanton would have.
So, if you're out there in a city with a managerial form of government, and you need a highly qualified and experienced manager, I know where you can likely find one for a great price.
She was praised unendingly for her record and abilities. She was fired for being herself.
God Bless America!