The war on LGBTQ+ people extends its collateral damage

A small town in east Alabama is saying goodbye to someone it shouldn’t have lost.
Whether through legislation or rhetoric, we just keep finding ways to push each other away. To “other” one another. To hurt one another.

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November 13, 2023 - 4:02 PM

Mayor Bubba Copeland visits an area that was damaged by a tornado March 5, 2019, in Smiths Station, Alabama.(Alex Wong/Getty Images/TNS)

A small town in east Alabama is saying goodbye to someone they shouldn’t have lost.

By all accounts, F.L. “Bubba” Copeland Jr. was loved by thousands in Smiths Station, a community of about 5,400. He was mayor. He was a small business owner. He was a pastor. And yet when he was dealing with fallout from his community believing he was queer, he decided to kill himself.

A conservative publication had posted pictures of Copeland wearing a wig and women’s clothing. He addressed the issue from the pulpit on Nov. 1, saying the article did not reflect who he was and that “sometimes people stumble” in their faith walk.

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