(ReliableNews.org) – The Republican Party is known for its traditional family values. While they don’t necessarily take issue with members of the LGBTQ+ community, they believe religious freedom takes precedence. Recently, an Alabama mayor’s secret life was revealed, and now he’s dead.
On November 1, 1819 News published an exposé about Smiths Station Mayor Fred “Bubba” Copeland. According to the article, the Republican mayor was doing everything right after winning the election in 2016. He was growing the town while maintaining its small-town appeal. He helped it recover after it was impacted by an EF-4 tornado that killed 23 people in the nearby town of Beauregard.
While Copeland was doing a great job in his town, the website accused the mayor of living a secret life. The mayor allegedly had social media accounts under fake names, like “Brittini Blaire Summerlin,” where he posted photos of himself in women’s clothing and makeup. Under the Brittini account, the mayor described himself as a transgender woman who was in the process of transitioning and loved “Smiling, Clothes and Shoes!” Some of the photos were of the mayor dressed as a woman in underwear. In others, he was wearing his wife’s clothes.
The website pointed out that despite his online persona, Copeland was active in his church. When the news organization contacted him, the mayor allegedly admitted to running the accounts and said it was just a “fantasy,” and he was “getting rid of stress.” He said his wife was aware of it, and he described it all as “dress up,” insisting he wasn’t ashamed of it.
On November 3, days after the conservative website published the article, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department was conducting a welfare check when the mayor shot himself in front of deputies, killing himself.
Former Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) called the exposé by 1819 News “sad and disgusting” and mourned his friend’s death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
https://x.com/dougjones/status/1720828512251072784
Others called the news “heartbreaking” and slammed the website for doxxing the mayor. For its part, the website ran a story about the mayor’s suicide and offered its condolences.
https://x.com/1819news/status/1720597688050237700
If you or someone you love is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please dial 988 to speak to a counselor 24/7.
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