https://www.al.com/news/2023/11/fl-bubba-copeland-alabama-mayor-and-pastor-kills-himself.html

By Howard Koplowitz |

F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, the mayor of Smiths Station and pastor at First Baptist Church of Phenix City, killed himself early Friday evening.

Copeland, a married father of three, “took his own life” around 5 p.m. Friday, said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.

Sheriff’s deputies received a request for a welfare check for Copeland around 4:14 p.m. Friday, the office said later.

Copeland was found in Beulah when a slow pursuit was initiated with the mayor’s vehicle.

Copeland turned off Lee County Road 279 and on to Lee County Road 275 just north of Yarboughs Crossroads and pulled over.

“He exited the vehicle, produced a handgun and took his own life,” the sheriff’s office said.

See also: Copeland’s death sparks heartbreak, outrage

A former member of the Lee County Board of Education, Copeland became mayor of Smiths Station in 2016.

The church could not immediately be reached for comment.

Copeland’s death came two days after 1819 News published photos of him wearing women’s clothing and makeup.

1819 News is a website that was once owned by the Alabama Policy Institute.

“We have become aware of the alleged unbiblical behavior related to the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Phenix City,” the Alabama Baptist State Convention and Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions said in a statement to the Alabama Baptist, a news outlet for the state’s Baptist churches.

“We are praying for the leaders of the church family as they seek to determine the truth concerning these accusations. As the people of God, we pray for the pastor and his family as well.”

On Wednesday, Copeland took to the pulpit at First Baptist Church to denounce the post about him, claiming he was a “victim of an internet attack.”

“The article is not who or what I am....I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life that has become public. This will not cause my life to change. This will not waiver my devotion to my family, serving my city, serving my church,” Copeland said in his statement to the church.

He then read from the 23rd Psalm as he delivered a short sermon.

“God will always protect you, take care of you,” Copeland said. “He will see you through anything, absolutely anything.”

Copeland was thrust into the national spotlight in 2019 after a devastating tornado killed 23 people in Lee County and he met with then President Donald Trump as he toured the damaged communities.

“Never in a million years did I think my first term as Mayor would include dealing with a deadly tornado, global pandemic and several student suicides,” he posted on Facebook a year later.

“There is no instruction manual for this job. However, I do have my own personal manual and that is my Bible. God will sustain you through anything as long as you commit your life to Him.”

He was re-elected in 2020.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, reach out to the 24–hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741; or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours.

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

thedailybeast.com
Alabama Mayor Bubba Copeland Kills Self After Right-Wing 1819 News Outs His Cross-Dressing
Josh Fiallo
5–7 minutes

Bubba Copeland shot himself in front of police on Friday, days after he begged 1819 News not to expose his private life.

Updated Nov. 04, 2023 12:39PM EDT / Published Nov. 04, 2023 11:07AM EDT
Bubba Copeland, wearing a button-up shirt and blazer, smiles in a headshot.

Office of Mayor Bubba Copeland

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.
Bubba Copeland speaks with Donald Trump.

Bubba Copeland meets with President Donald Trump in 2019 after a string of tornadoes ravaged his region of Alabama.

Office of Mayor Bubba Copeland

Copeland’s extracurricular activities quickly turned into a community-wide controversy. His church referred to “unbiblical behavior” in a statement, and Copeland reportedly told his parishioners that the article did not represent “who or what I am.” He added that it would “not cause my life to change.”

“This will not waver my devotion to my family, serving my city, serving my church,” Copeland said Wednesday before giving his final sermon, which was live streamed online.

Copeland, who was married, said he was the subject of an “internet attack.” He added that “a lot of things were taken out of context” and that “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people” had reached out to offer their support for him.

“Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt of humor because I know I’m not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman, either,” he said. “I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private, personal life.”

The uproar took a tragic turn on Friday, when Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said that deputies who tried to pull Copeland over for a welfare check witnessed Copeland step out of his car and shoot himself.

A First Baptist Church of Phenix City official referred The Daily Beast to a statement posted to the church’s Facebook page on Saturday morning. The church changed its profile and cover photo to be black and white, seemingly to honor Copeland.

“Thank you all for your prayers and expressions of sympathy and support,” the church wrote. “First and foremost, we ask that you keep Pastor Bubba Copeland’s family in your prayers today, and in the days ahead.”

Defending his reporting on X, formerly Twitter, Monger responded to a since-deleted tweet saying, “‘Digging up someone’s personal life’ is reporting on what someone posts publicly on social media? Interesting take.”

In a separate post responding to criticism, Monger wrote, “Pictures posted to Reddit are now considered ‘private,’ according to the kiddy table of Alabama media.”

Monger has not posted since Copeland’s suicide.

Phenix City School Superintendent Larry DiChiara, who said he was an old friend of Copeland, shared his anger and heartbreak in a Facebook post.

“Please bare with me while I vent,” he said. “I am so angry right now and heartbroken. I witnessed a good man be publicly ridiculed and crucified over the last few days… to the point that he just took his own life today.”

DiCharia said he’d offered his “support and encouragement” to Copeland after he was outed on Wednesday and that Copeland acknowledged he was going through some “dark days.”

“I just want to ask you people who thought it humorous to publicly ridicule him, ‘Are you happy now?’ What crime did he commit? Some of you people make me sick,” DiCharia added. “I hope you are really proud. For our brother, F.L. Bubba Copeland, May God bless your soul and forgive those who took pleasure in your suffering. They should all be ashamed!”

How is it that no news organizations, large or small, can determine the age of an elected politician? (None of the coverage of this sad AND strange story lists how old the late mayor Copeland was.)

But a more disturbing question is: why oh why does Copeland's Wiki entry repeatedly use female pronouns?!? ("She mothered three children," etc.) What he did for fun (or to whatever end) doesn't affect whether Copeland had XX- or XY-chromosomes, after all. And in either case, he and/or she ran for office--and hobnobbed post-twisters with then President Trump--as a male, right?

The "twisters" of reality two report these events are more injurious to American society than the lethal tornadoes the late Copeland and his constituents had to dodge.

Another question: why do so many guys down here in the old Confederacy welcome being nicknamed "Bubba" ? (Strikes me as every bit as dumb as all those unpronounceable, apostrophe-littered given names which so-called "people of color"* brand for life on their newborns.)

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
-------------------------------------
* A phrase I refuse to personally employ, as it's EVERY BIT the nasty racial slur that the semantically-equivalent (and rightfully now-disfavored) "colored people" phraseology was.
==================https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.L._%22Bubba%22_Copeland

Above, it should have read: "The 'twisters' of reality WHO report these events..."

(Auto-INcorrect at it again, alas.)

STYBLE/Florida

Okay, by 8pm Eastern Saturday the 4th, Wiki editors have dropped the he-or-she thing...plus established that the late mayor was 62 when he killed himself.

I suppose the gender silliness was a function of this being a developing story.

Meanwhile, I find it quite odd that the entire Bubba Copeland entry has been nominated for Wiki deletion! If THIS isn't big-time small-town news, what is?

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida