Alabama Democrat Mayor Kills Self After Right-Wing Blog Outs His Cross-Dressing

A small-town Alabama pastor and mayor killed himself Friday, days after a 
local conservative news website published a story that included photos of 
him wearing women’s clothing and makeup.

F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, who was the mayor of Smiths Station and the pastor 
at First Baptist Church in Phenix City, shot himself in front of police 
during a welfare check, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Copeland’s private life was exposed Wednesday by the conservative blog 
1819 News, which was once owned by the right-wing Alabama Policy Institute 
and whose top editor is a former Breitbart News contributor.

That post, written by Craig Monger, had the rambling headline: The secret 
life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F.L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland as a 
‘transgender curvy girl’: ‘It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress’.

1819 News published the username to Copeland’s Reddit and Instagram 
accounts, writing that he posed “in various outfits, some more racy than 
others.” The blog also said that Copeland used the pseudonym “Brittini 
Blaire Summerlin” and posted pornography and advice on chemically 
transitioning.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach 
out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.

The blog reported that Copeland, a Republican, confirmed that the accounts 
were run by him, saying they were a “hobby” he used for “getting rid of 
stress.” 1819 News reported that Copeland asked them to not out him, but 
they did so anyway, even though it does not appear he had taken any public 
positions against LGBTQ issues that could be construed as hypocritical.

1819 News published a short article on Friday without a byline to report 
Copeland’s suicide.

Copeland was elected to be mayor of Smiths Station, a town of about 5,000 
near the Georgia state line, in 2016. He was thrust into the national 
spotlight in 2019 when a string of tornadoes ravaged the area and then-
President Donald Trump visited. Copeland was photographed with Trump and 
used the picture to campaign for re-election in 2020.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/alabama-mayor-bubba-copeland-kills-self-
after-right-wing-1819-news-outs-his-cross-dressing