US City Elects Country First Trans Mayor

The recent American elections have been qualified of historic by many commentators.

Despite the dark moments for LGBT rights brought in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas by voters expressing themselves against gay marriage, the city of Silverton, Oregon is bringing a little light and another reason to call the elections historic.

On the 4th November, it elected the country's first openly transgender mayor.

Stu Rasmussen, 60, served as mayor twice before, elected in 1988 and again in 1990, but that was before he underwent breast enhancement surgery and started to be more open about his trans status. He unseated incumbent mayor Ken Hector by 1,988 votes to 1,512.

Dozens of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates won election to public offices across the US on Tuesday, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The group, which endorsed a record-breaking 111 candidates in 2008, said more than 70 percent of its endorsed candidates had won their races.

With thanks to PinkNews,