April 18, 2007 | Sex & Society

Gender bending a political no-no

American politicians can get away with a lot of things. Lying. Cheating. Sometimes, even stealing. And while their constituents will forgive them for many crimes, the "crime" that remains unforgivable is playing with one's   God-given gender. According to two stories reported recently by Gay.com, it doesn't matter if you're a little-known city manager or a major presidential contender: changing your sex is strictly forbidden.

First, Gay.com reports on leading Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's controversial foray into cross-dressing. Giuliani, former mayor of New York, dressed as a woman -- complete with makeup, a platinum blond wig and a frilly pink dress -- 10 years ago as a joke at the Inner Circle dinner, an annual political roast held for charity. Later that year, after winning reelection, he appeared as a woman again -- this time in front of a national television audience -- in a Saturday Night Live skit.

At the time, Giuliani's New York-based voters appreciated his sense of humor. Now that he's running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, however, some wonder if his party leaders will get the joke.

"People think of him as a leader and a tough guy, and he has this image as somebody who tamed the city of New York and made the trains run on time, and seeing him dressed up like a girl would run contrary to all of those things,"  Francis Marion University political science professor Neal Thigpen told Gay.com.

Already a controversial candidate for conservatives thanks to his support for abortion and gay rights, Giuliani could easily fall out of favor with his base if he pushes the envelope too far.

"I enjoy having fun," Giuliani told Fox News when asked about his drag performance. "I mean, I really enjoy those Inner Circles. I made them fun, and I enjoyed them. And so you're going to get a couple of things people can interpret different ways, I guess."

Of course, you don't have to be the mayor of a big city to bend your gender and push conservatives' buttons. Just ask Steve Stanton, former city manager in Largo, Fla. Stanton was fired last month when it was revealed that he was transgendered and planned to undergo sex reassignment surgery. City commissioners voted 5-2 to fire him, Gay.com reports, though they insist their decision was based on his hard-nosed management style, not his gender preferences.

Stanton isn't so sure, however. He has called the city's decision discrimination, but says he won't bring suit against it.

"It is tempting to seek retribution in the courts, but after much reflection and soul searching, I just cannot find it within my heart to sue Largo, a city I have always and will always love. I do not want to punish the citizens of Largo," Stanton, who will be living as a woman named Susan by the end of May, said in the statement.

It just goes to show you: It really is a man's world out there (just ask Hillary Clinton; she's got the balls to prove it!).

• Will Giuliani's cross-dressing past cost him? [Gay.com]
• Fired trans city manager says he won't sue [Gay.com]
• Official defends trans city manager's firing [Gay.com]