of her life. She and her wife had a son, Travis, in 1993, shortly after she became acting city manager of Largo. However, in 1997 she became involved in an Internet chat group for cross-dressers. Decision to pursue sex reassignment Stanton supported the proposed city-wide ordinance, though she did not take a prominent role in the debate that surrounded it. Afterwards, she began to discuss her feelings with a therapist who had testified in support of the ordinance, and ultimately made the decision along with her wife to pursue sex reassignment. Since then, Stanton underwent counseling, with clinical psychologist and gender therapist Kathleen Farrell, and hormone replacement therapy in preparation for sex reassignment surgery at some future date. Preparing to go public Stanton met privately with Largo City Mayor Pat Gerard on January 1, 2007 to inform her that she was transgender and intended to begin the final stages of gender transition in the coming year. Stanton shared her plans only with a very small group of confidential advisers, including her wife, a medical team and a few top officials at City Hall. Stanton and Gerard worked together to write an eight-page plan to help make her decision public in June, a time chosen because Stanton's 13-year-old son could be out of town and be shielded from the attendant publicity. "Outed" An unidentified source leaked Stanton's intentions to the St. Petersburg Times, and on February 20, 2007 a reporter went to Stanton's office for a regular weekly meeting and informed her that the paper had received a tip. Stanton had little choice but to sit for an interview even though she had not yet discussed the situation with her son. An interview was scheduled for the following morning to give Stanton time to talk with her family. Stanton was accompanied by Largo Mayor Pat Gerard during the interview. Stanton informed her son that she was transgender that night. On February 21, 2007, the St. Petersburg Times published a news article on the Internet regarding Stanton's intentions. A press conference was held at City Hall the same day. Stanton and Mayor Pat Gerard explained the plans and events they had developed to make Stanton's transgender identity public in June. Stanton disclosed that she would begin wearing dresses to work on April 2 and would be known from that day forward as Susan Stanton. Also on February 21, 2007, Stanton sent an