An Alabama mayor ended his life after a website showed pictures of him cross-dressing

As mayor, F.L. “Bubba” Copeland spurred the designation of a historical site, and the creation of an outdoor community center and a public works department. He also led the city through the pandemic.

The city of Smiths Station

F.L. “Bubba” Copeland wore many hats in the small city of Smiths Station in east Alabama. He was the mayor, a pastor and the owner of a local grocery store. He was also a husband and father.

But in the days before Copeland took his life, the 49-year-old was revealed to have another identity — this time, of a man who liked to dress up as a woman and write erotic fiction.

On Wednesday, 1819 News, a website affiliated with the conservative Alabama Policy Institute, wrote that Copeland used a string of social media accounts under a pseudonym. The outlet also included several photos of Copeland in women’s clothing and makeup that the site said were posted under the accounts.

Two days later, Copeland killed himself, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

A funeral service for Copeland is scheduled for Thursday.

It’s impossible to know all the factors that led to Copeland’s suicide. But his death puts a spotlight on media ethics and when, if ever, it’s appropriate to publish stories on people’s private lives.

1819 News published a series of articles on Copeland

The social media accounts belonging to Copeland described a transgender woman in the process of medically transitioning, 1819 News said. But Copeland told the outlet he was not actually doing so. He…