Alabama Mayor Dies By Suicide After Being Outed For LGBT Online Persona

An Alabama preacher has tragically died after an area of his personal life was leaked online.

F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, mayor of Smiths Station and preacher at First Baptist Church in Phenix City, died by suicide on Friday after being outed for his transgender online persona.

Just two days before his tragic death, right-wing blog 1819 News published a post outing the late politician for his online pseudonym, Brittini Blaire Summerlin, who described herself as a “transitioning transgender curvy girl, that loves smiling, clothes, and shoes!” The outlet revealed the Instagram and Reddit accounts associated with Bittini, which apparently featured Copeland in women’s clothing, and posts relating to trans pornography and erotica that he allegedly wrote himself, according to the outlet.

Copeland spoke to 1819 News, explaining:

“Just my wife knows about it. It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress. I have a lot of stress, and I’m not medically transitioning. It’s just a bit of a character I’m playing. … I don’t go out and seek solicitation or anything like that. What I do in private life has nothing to do with what I do in my holy life. Does this have any effect on me being mayor, that I sometimes put on a dress or sometimes put on makeup? Does that have anything to do whatsoever with me being mayor or being a pastor?”

However, just two days after that initial report surfaced online, the 62-year-old died during a welfare check, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Officers were apparently tailing his car at around 5:00 p.m. when “he exited the vehicle, produced a handgun, and took his own life.”

How completely devastating.

1819 News reported that Copeland had asked them not to out him, but they did anyway. He did not appear to take any anti-LGBT stances that could be perceived as hypocritical, either, which makes this whole situation all the more heartbreaking. How, in 2023, are people still outing others?? WTF! As we just saw, this isn’t just a headline — it’s life or death.

Our hearts are so broken for Copeland’s loved ones. He sadly left behind a wife and three children.

Rest in peace, Bubba.

[Image via F.L. “Bubba” Copeland/Facebook]