The small-town politics in Riverdale, Ga., features some big-time mudslinging in the final weeks before the Nov. 6 election, with a website accusing Georgia’s first transgender elected official of being a man who “used an alias and fooled everyone into thinking he was a woman.”

The website — operated by anonymous supporters of Riverdale Mayor Phaedra Graham — also notes that transgender City Councilmember Michelle Bruce is under investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s office for allegations of election fraud during an attempt to recall Graham from office in 2005. Filed with the Secretary of State’s office in November 2006 and forwarded to the attorney general last month, the complaint accuses Bruce and her mother of forging signatures on recall petitions, a charge Bruce denies.

“They filed charges against me with no proof — they’re just making accusations,” Bruce said of the citizens who lodged the complaint with the Secretary of State’s office, Stephanie Campbell and Sharon Kellam. “Hopefully me and my mom will be vindicated on that. There’s no proof — it’s 'he say, she say' crap.”

According to a June 29 report prepared by the Secretary of State’s solicitor general’s office, Campbell and Kellam “had reason to believe that a recall petition that was circulated to recall Mayor Phaedra Graham included forged signatures,” and believed Bruce and her mother, Barbara Williams, were responsible. But the report’s “summary of finding” details no signature forging, and lists as “potential violations” only that Bruce and Williams collected signatures without registering as petition circulators.

“The referral to the attorney general’s office is in no way an implication of significance,” said Matt Carrothers, media relations director for the secretary of state’s office.

Neither Kellam nor Campbell, who is one of three candidates challenging Graham for mayor in November, could be reached for comment by press time.

Bruce, who first won office in 2003, faces three opponents in her Ward 2 re-election bid: Wayne Hall, Georgia Fuller and Alberto Advincula. A city of 12,500 residents, Riverdale is located just south of Atlanta in Clayton County.

 
More troubling to Bruce than the pending attorney general’s investigation is what she calls a “hate website” that features pictures of her and ridicules her for being transgender.

“The man at the left tricked us last election. He used an alias and fooled everyone into thinking he was a woman,” reads an entry on www.getinvolvednowga.com. “Riverdale is the laughing stock of the county with him presently in office.”

The operator of the website — who did not respond to interview requests — is anonymous, but clearly supports Graham, repeatedly exalting the mayor while belittling her political opponents, including Bruce. The website also writes glowingly of one of Bruce’s opponents, calling Georgia Fuller “an intelligent, educated, employed” candidate who will tip the balance of the four-member Riverdale city council in Graham’s favor.

“There will be a two-two vote on important issues. This will allow the mayor to cast the deciding vote,” the website reads. “I am well aware that you, the voters, have confidence in your mayor."

Graham did not respond to interview requests by press time, and Fuller could not be reached for comment.

Bruce, who was born intersexed and identifies as transgender, said the website is a result of Graham’s “cronyism.”

“They’re just trying to use anything they can to smear me and get me out of office,” Bruce said. “The website itself is nothing, but — it hurts, don’t get me wrong — but it’s a shame someone has to go after someone’s race or gender and that’s all they can use."

“They’ve made comments previously [about being transgender],” Bruce said of Graham and her political allies. “She’s gone around and said we need to get that transvestite out of office — that freak of nature.”

Bruce has been endorsed by the statewide gay rights group Georgia Equality, and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to elect gay and transgender public officials.