• Rss Feed
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Search
Skip to content
Visit Sponsor
Seattle Gay Scene
  • Home
  • Seattle Pride Guide 2023
  • News
  • Arts &
    Entertainment
  • Nightlife
  •  Living
    • Geek
  • Calendar
Home *Fuck Cancer, *Resist. Protest. Obstruct. Inform., In Memoriam, National News, News, Obituary, Politics, Seattle Transgender Scene, Trans* News, Trans* PrideFirst Trans Mayor Stu Rasmussen Dies Aged 73 In Silverton Oregon

First Trans Mayor Stu Rasmussen Dies Aged 73 In Silverton Oregon

November 22, 2021• byMichael Strangeways
Stu Rasmussen first transgender mayor. Photo via Facebook.

Sad News to report as it has been announced that the first out transgender mayor, Silverton Oregon’s Stuart Rasmussen passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Popularly known as “Stu”, the politician and advocate passed away from metastatic prostate cancer. Stu was 73 and survived by their “longtime love” Victoria.

Note: Stu, a self-proclaimed “gender anarchist” was rather fluid with pronoun usage, using both he/him and she/her pronouns interchangedly.

Rasmussen gathered national headlines in 2008 when he became Mayor of Silverton, a city of 10 thousand just northeast of Salem, Oregon. Stu’s election brought not only worldwide media attention to the sleepy town but also protesters in the form of bigoted member’s of Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka Kansas, the anti-gay hate church founded by Fred Phelps. But, the citizens of Silverton banded together and counter-protested against the hate group with many of the townspeople donning drag in support of their mayor.

Seattle also got on the “Stu” bandwagon of love in 2013 when the local Intiman Theatre company produced the world premiere of a musical theater piece based on Stu’s life as a transgender person in rural Oregon called STU FOR SILVERTON. The sweet (but, rather slight) show has continued to workshop and fine tune the production in an effort to take it to Broadway, but to little avail.

The current mayor of Silverton, Kyle Palmer issued this obituary for Stu a few days after his death:

It is with sadness that I report that Mayor Stu Rasmussen passed away Wednesday around 11am after a number of weeks under home hospice care for metastatic prostate cancer.His longtime love Victoria noted that “he went bravely into the unknown on his own terms.

”One of the few people around with single name familiarity in our community and beyond, Stu received international attention in 2008 when he became the nation’s first transgender Mayor. His story was featured in People Magazine, on Good Morning America, and was the subject of a stage production in Seattle titled “Stu for Silverton.”

The producers of that production recently completed filming a documentary about Silverton, Stu, and specifically an incident following his 2008 election that brought the Westboro Baptist Church to Town in protest of his lifestyle. They were met by a large crowd of demonstrating citizens – many of them wearing dresses – supporting Stu and demanding that they leave town.


He set an example for members of our community who needed to see that it was safe to live their lives openly in our community.

Stu first served as Silverton’s Mayor in 1988, followed by service as a City Councilor, and Library Board Member. He returned to elected service when he was elected to City Council in 2004. Returning as Silverton’s Mayor starting in 2009, he held that position until Rick Lewis was elected in 2014.

Stu ran the Palace Theater for the majority of his life, managing to preserve the magic of a small town theater even while showcasing the blockbusters that arrived in the late 70’s and navigating the frustrations of studio restrictions that made it harder and harder to turn a profit.

I will never forget being allowed to see Star Wars twice a night for seven straight days as an eleven year-old in 1977, but it also wasn’t uncommon to go to the Palace for the popcorn and just happen to enjoy a movie in the background. The ridiculously low ticket prices and the fact that a whole family could have popcorn and a drink for less than $10 was a welcome relief as movies elsewhere became unaffordable for many.

Throughout his career as an elected official, Stu advocated for many things on behalf of those who shared his vision for Silverton. Although citizens can debate their support or lack of support for some of those visions, the time for those conversations has long passed. His volume of service to city government, his role as a longtime downtown business owner, and his impact on the LGBTQ population in Silverton and beyond leaves a huge legacy behind.

My thoughts are with Victoria, as she faces life without Stuart for the first time in many decades. I’m comforted in the knowledge that he is no longer in pain.

Kyle Palmer, Silverton Mayor

A toast to the legendary Stu Rasmussen!

(Visited 7 times, 1 visits today)

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.

Related Posts

*Seattle Theaterland • Arts & Entertainment • Reviews • Stage

Not-To-Miss: “The Niceties” is Urgently Acted 

By Miryam Gordon Review: THE NICETIES by Eleanor Burgess. Produced

...

*Seattle Theaterland • #Theater and Stage • Arts & Entertainment • Arts News • Capitol Hill News • Mark Your Calendars • News • Stage • Stuff to Do

“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” by Lorraine Hansberry Gets Two Big Productions This Year

It’s a hot year for acclaimed playwright Lorraine Hansberry and

...

*Seattle Theaterland • #Theater and Stage • Arts & Entertainment • Musical Theater • Seattle Area Theater and Stage Preview • Stage

February Theater In Seattle Includes Several World Premieres Plus Intiman’s “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”

It is apparently “world premiere” month on Seattle-area stages –

...

Living • Oregon Gay Scene • Outdoors • Pride • Travel • Vacations • Winter Pridefest • Winter Sports • Winter Sports

Winter Pridefest Returns To Bend/Mt Bachelor

For all you LGBTQ+ ski bunnies out there, here’s a

...

Camping • Living • News • Oregon Gay Scene • Outdoors • Pride • Queer News • Travel • Vacations • Winter Sports

So Many Options To Be Prideful While Skiing…Including Winter Pridefest At Mt. Bachelor In Bend, OR

Yes! You do have options when it comes to Winter

...

*Seattle Theaterland • Arts & Entertainment • Musical Theater • New Works • Stage

Seattle Stages Forge Ahead With New Openings Including Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Freestyle Love Supreme” at Seattle Rep

Despite the brisk wintery air of February and attendant struggles

...

Previous: SIFF’s Uptown Theater To Re-Open Next Week With…Gaga’s “House of Gucci”
Next: The Week In Review 11-27-21: Gay Postal Love; Ms Lambert Gets Engaged; Lotsa LGBTQ Grammy Noms; Madonna’s Boob

Comments are closed.

Upcoming Events

Fri 02

Queers, Queens & Everything In Between: A Gay History Tour of Seattle

June 2 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Seattle WA
United States
Fri 02

Burien Pride Festival

June 2 @ 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Burien
United States
Fri 02

PNW Black Pride: The Gathering @ Sonya’s

June 2 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Seattle WA
United States
Fri 02

Le Faux @ Julia’s on Broadway

June 2 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Seattle WA
United States
Fri 02

Paint & Sip : Pride Night! @ Inside

June 2 @ 7:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Seattle, WA
United States

View More…

  • Rss Feed
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Search

Seattle Gay Scene

SEATTLE GAY SCENE is Seattle’s Leading LGBT community website, and most visited calendar in the region.

We also proudly serve as media sponsors for a number of amazing local organizations, including: Gay City Health Project, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, SIFF, Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Qulture Qreative & Hard Times Press, NARK Magazine and Bacon Strip to help bring some of the most exciting live events and entertainment in the city.

Top Categories

  • Music
  • Community
  • Drag O’Tainment
  • Seattle Lesbian Scene
  • Stuff to Do

Recent Comments

  1. Michael Strangeways on Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day & Community Sale
  2. Breezy Moss on Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day & Community Sale
  3. Seaguy on The Comeback Pulls The Plug

About Us

  • Our Team
  • Advertise on SGS!
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 | Seattle Gay Scene
  • Our Team
  • Advertise on SGS!
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Close Search Window
↑