SPTimes.com – By Lorri Helfand
Largo – With the mayor at his side, longtime Largo City Manager Steve Stanton disclosed to the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday that he is undergoing hormone therapy and counseling in preparation for a sex-change operation.
Through the process, which could take well over a year, Stanton plans to remain as the chief executive of the city of 76,000. He has the support of Mayor Pat Gerard, elected last March.
“He’s a dedicated city manager and puts his job first,” said Gerard, who learned of the decision Jan. 1.
Stanton, 48, said he eventually will change his name to Susan, the name his late mother would have given him if he had been a girl.
Married with a 13-year-old son, Stanton said he has thought of becoming a woman since childhood. He said he has gone out in public as a woman in recent years, but only in places like Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago.