Stu Rasmussen

{{Short description|American politician (1948–2021)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Stu Rasmussen

| image =

| caption =

| order = Mayor of Silverton, Oregon

| term_start = January 2009

| term_end =January 2015

| predecessor = Ken Hector

| successor = Rick Lewis

| birth_date = {{birth date|1948|9|9|}}

| birth_place = Silverton, Oregon, U.S.

| death_date = November 17, 2021 (aged 73)

| death_place = Silverton, Oregon, U.S.

| constituency =

| party = Democratic {{small|(since 1996)}}

| otherparty = Independent {{small|(before 1996)}}

| spouse =

| alma_mater =

| religion =

| signature =

| footnotes =

}}

Stu Rasmussen (September 9, 1948 – November 17, 2021) was an American politician. He became the nation's first openly transgender mayor when he was elected as the mayor of Silverton, Oregon in November 2008.{{dead link|date=March 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sturasmussen.com/realityCheck.htm |title=Reality Check |author=Stu Rasmussen |accessdate=December 19, 2011 |archive-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420133725/http://www.sturasmussen.com/realityCheck.htm |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Oregon town elects nation's first transgender mayor |url=http://www.komonews.com/news/local/34147009.html |publisher=Associated Press |date=Nov 8, 2008 |accessdate=December 19, 2011 |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103035646/http://www.komonews.com/news/local/34147009.html |url-status=dead }}

He had previously been elected twice in the 1990s as mayor of Silverton before coming out as transgender.{{cite news|last=Question |first=Big |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-diary-the-sex-change-we-can-all-believe-in-1003960.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-diary-the-sex-change-we-can-all-believe-in-1003960.html |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=US election diary: The sex change we can all believe in - Americas, World - The Independent |publisher=Independent.co.uk |date= November 9, 2008|accessdate=2008-12-09 | location=London}} He was also three times a member of the city council.{{cite web |last=Friar |first=Cathryn |url=http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2376 |title=Stu Rasmussen is Transgendered Mayor » Right Pundits |publisher=Rightpundits.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-09 |archive-date=November 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113103445/http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2376 |url-status=dead }} He was assigned male at birth, identified as a man, preferred masculine pronouns, had breast implants, and had a feminine gender expression.{{cite news|last=Ng|first=David|title=New musical about transgender mayor heading to Intiman Theatre|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2012-nov-29-la-et-cm-new-musical-about-transgender-mayor-heading-to-intiman-theatre-20121128-story.html|access-date=April 17, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 29, 2012}} He sometimes went by the name Carla Fong.

Rasmussen unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives in 1994 as an independent, and a seat in the Oregon State Senate in 1996 as a Democrat. He ran for the House again in 1998 as a Democrat, losing with 41% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=251159|title=Rasmussen, Stu|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=September 18, 2017}}

In 2013 a musical about Rasmussen, Stu for Silverton, premiered at Seattle's Intiman Theatre.{{cite news |last1=Berson |first1=Misha |title='Stu for Silverton' sings about small-town tolerance |work=Seattle Times |date=23 July 2013 |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2021456572_stuforsilvertonxml.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218092048/http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2021456572_stuforsilvertonxml.html |archive-date=18 December 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Berson |first1=Misha |title=Meet the real Stu from musical 'Stu for Silverton' |work=Seattle Times |date=23 July 2013 |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2021456632_stusilvertoninterviewxml.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218092050/http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2021456632_stusilvertoninterviewxml.html |archive-date=18 December 2013}}

Rasmussen, a self-described fiscal conservative and social liberal, served as city councilor until January 2009.{{cite web |url=http://webservices.orcities.org/CityCouncil/tabid/4504/Default.aspx |title=City of Silverton, OR > Government > City Council |publisher=Webservices.orcities.org |accessdate=2008-12-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120724073952/http://webservices.orcities.org/CityCouncil/tabid/4504/Default.aspx |archivedate=July 24, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}

He co-owned Silverton's 1936 Palace Theater, which shows first-run movies, since 1974.{{cite news |url=http://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=2037 |publisher= Our Town Live |title= Keeping up in a digital age: Palace plans high tech upgrades |date= November 2011 |last= Drawhorn |first= Ornie |accessdate= January 25, 2014}}

Rasmussen died from prostate cancer on November 17, 2021, at the age of 73.[https://eu.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2021/11/21/silverton-oregon-first-openly-transgender-mayor-stu-rasmussen-dies-cancer/8711451002/ America's first openly transgender mayor, Silverton's Stewart 'Stu' Rasmussen dies]