Rasmussen died Wednesday “after a number of weeks in home care from metastatic prostate cancer,” Palmer said in a statement. Facebook post.
“His longtime love Victoria (Sage) notes that ‘he bravely went into the unknown on his own terms,’ ‘ Palmer said.
Rasmussen, a lifelong resident of Silverton, the town for which he served as mayor for several terms, is 73 years old, according to Statesman Magazine newspapers.
Rasmussen doesn’t care about pronoun usage and accepts either he/he or she/she, Sage told the newspaper.
Rasmussen was first elected mayor in 1988 and re-elected in 1990, before becoming transgender, according to a Just Out Magazine Interview posted by Victory Fund, a national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ people openly.
Rasmussen was elected mayor of Silverton again in 2008, this time as an openly transgender person, and remained in office until his ouster in 2014. That historic election caused a protest by Westboro Baptist Baptist ChurchStatesman Magazine reported. The group is known for its fierce anti-LGBTQ protests at public events, including military funerals.
But protesters in Westboro “were met with a crowd of protesters – many of them wearing skirts – supporting Stu and demanding that they leave town,” Palmer said.
“He sets an example for members of our community who need to see that it is safe to live their lives openly in our community,” Palmer added. “My thoughts are with Victoria, as she comes to terms with life without Stuart for the first time in decades. I take comfort in knowing that he is no longer in pain.”
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