One of the highest-profile transgender religious leaders in America has filed to run for mayor of her small Colorado town.
Paula Stone Williams is a pastoral counselor who previously served as president of the Christian church planting organization Orchard Group from 1989 to 2009. She then became editor of the Christian Standard periodical, where she was fired after coming out as a transgender woman in December 2012.
She has given several hugely popular TED Talks, sometimes accompanied by her son, Jonathan Williams. Videos of those TED Talks have been viewed more than 9 million times. Her book, As A Woman, was published in 2021. She is a keynote speaker for major events.
Paula Stone Williams
Williams announced on Facebook Jan. 26 she has filed to run for mayor of Lyons, Colo., a town of about 2,200 people located northwest of Denver near Rocky Mountain National Park. She recently served as pastor of a congregation in nearby Longmont, Colo.
“I have been profoundly disturbed by the killing of Alex Pretti and Reneé Good,” she wrote. “The demonization of both by those in the highest positions in the land, coupled with the callous disregard shown by ICE, are beyond appalling. But as I have watched this awfulness unfold, I have also been encouraged by the nonviolent civic response of the people of Minneapolis.
“Minneapolis is a reminder that democracy is most effective when it is practiced locally. For the past four years it has been my privilege to be an elected official on the Board of Trustees of Lyons, Colo. For the past two years I have served as mayor pro tem.”
The election will be held April 7.
“I have great respect for my opponent,” Williams noted. “For the past two years we have served together on the board. We agree on most of the critical issues facing our town. We both believe in the democratic process, and we have pledged to run campaigns that signal our respect for each other.
“I am running because I believe there has never been a time in the history of our nation in which there has been a greater need for civility, trust, collaboration and good governance than today. It is clear it is not going to be modeled from the top down, so it must be modeled from the grassroots up.”
To her followers on Facebook, Williams declared: “These are difficult times. Doing nothing is not an option. I am hoping to bring civility, trust, collaboration and good governance to local government. That’s what I am going to do. Now the question is, what are you going to do?”