A tiny Alabama community has expressed sadness and anger over the murder of its beloved mayor, who committed suicide after being subjected to harsh online abuse after a far-right website released photographs of him disguised in women’s attire and wigs.
FL “Bubba” Copeland, 49, of Smiths Station in east Alabama, committed suicide on November 3. According to a statement from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, local authorities were attempting to do a wellness check on him at the time.
“We lost a good man in a tragic and senseless way.” “The community is devastated,” said Larry DiChiara, the former superintendent of Phenix City schools who has known Copeland for over 20 years, adding, “He’s a difficult man to replace.”
During a worship session last Sunday, David White, a member of First Baptist Church, spoke about the death of Copeland, who was also the pastor there.
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“Despite what may have been implied in the media, members of this church have remained steadfast in their love and concern for their pastor,” White stated in a service recorded.
“I know that my friend Bubba Copeland loved this church and its people,” he went on to say.
Copeland was put to rest three days ago, and his “heart of gold” was honored by community members.
Prior to his death, many people were concerned about Copeland’s well-being after the hard-right website 1819 News in Alabama published photographs of Copeland wearing makeup and dressed as a woman, as well as portions from sexual novels Copeland had authored.
The 1819 News website also revealed screenshots of Copeland’s social media profiles, in which he portrayed himself as a transsexual woman. Copeland, who is married with children, agreed that he managed the accounts but claimed that he dressed up as a pastime to relieve stress.
Copeland explicitly requested that such material not be published by 1819 News.
The Guardian contacted numerous members of the editorial staff of 1819 News but received no answer.
In his most recent sermon, Copeland addressed the articles.
“I sincerely apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life,” Copeland told the gathering.
“I have nothing to be embarrassed of. “Many things were taken out of context,” he continued.
According to the Los Angeles Blade, there is no record of Copeland preaching any hypocritical, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
Members in the community hailed Copeland as a compassionate and devoted leader.
The eulogy for Copeland was issued by the First Baptist Church, emphasizing his lengthy history of service in Lee County.
“[Above] all, beyond serving his church, city and community, Bubba loved spending time with his family,” the church stated in a statement.
Doug Jones, a former Democratic US senator from Alabama, complimented Copeland’s leadership and friendship in a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“He was a good man and a great mayor who led the small town of Smith Station through the tough times of a devastating tornado a few years ago,” Jones added, referring to the tornado in Lee county that killed 23 people in 2019.
Copeland was also one of the few politicians that backed local Pride festivities, despite Alabama’s continued anti-LGBTQ+ laws, according to the Associated Press.
Former Auburn, Alabama resident Chad Peacock told AP that he believes Alabama’s anti-LGBTQ+ atmosphere played a factor in Copeland’s death.
“You must fit the box.” “You can be yourself, but if you’re different, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Peacock remarked.
Many people have also voiced indignation that details of Copeland’s private life were made public without his permission, as well as the tremendous abuse he endured before to his death.
Following the 1819 News piece, DiChiara reached out to Copeland and gave assistance when individuals online and inside the community mocked him, including circulating false rumors.
“It became really personal. Very vengeful. “I’m sure they didn’t expect it to lead to a suicide at the time, but that’s what happened,” DiChiara said.
Other mourners expressed similar sentiments.
“He didn’t kill himself, he was killed by the judgment of people who should have been loving and supporting him and trusting his heart,” stated one commenter on the church’s Facebook page.
Jones also called out 1819 News in his comments, saying it was “sad and disgusting” to see how the conservative site handled Copeland.
“We live in a mean, bitter world where the self-righteous tend to throw the largest stones and the [1819 News] is the perfect example,” Jones went on to say.
The most recent occurrence highlights the dangers of disclosing sensitive information about someone’s life.
According to Sam Lau, a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, “outing” – the practice of revealing someone’s personal life without their consent – has consistently endangered individuals, regardless of whether they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or another related demographic.
“Whether or not a person identifies as a part of the LGTBQ+ community, there is a long history in this country of attempting to out public figures against their will, and it consistently causes harm – forced outing is a direct attempt to endanger the person being outed,” he added.
Smiths Station adored Copeland, according to DiChiara.
“I can tell you a majority of the people here loved Mayor Copeland and wish he was still here,” he added.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s wearing high heels or football cleats. We don’t give a damn. “He was a good man who didn’t deserve to be bullied until he committed suicide,” he added.
