STEVENSON — Stevenson City Council member Lucy Lauser is resigning at the end of this month, after a year of turbulence stemming from two instances where she took off her top and displayed her breasts in public in support of transgender rights.
Those incidents led to two recall petitions against her, one dismissed by a Skamania County judge and one resolved by Washington’s Supreme Court, and a criminal indecent exposure charge, which is still pending. Lauser is a transgender woman and maintains that her actions were constitutionally protected political speech, a position the state’s high court agreed with in its ruling on one of the recalls.
Lauser, who was elected in November 2023, told Uplift Local that she had anticipated resigning for months, as the culmination to her series of demonstrations. “Shortly after the 2024 election, I went out on the courthouse lawn dressed as the character V from the movie “V for Vendetta”, with a sign that said body autonomy or rebellion,” she said. “And then I did my topless protests. I took a case to the state Supreme Court. And the conclusion of that series of protests was going to be resigning from city council.”
Lauser publicly announced her resignation at the end of the council’s March 19 meeting, reading aloud a prepared statement that expressed “great sadness, and also relief,” thanked her supporters, and said this was a “necessary” decision.
“My mental and physical health have suffered almost as much this past year as they did when I was homeless,” she said. “For the last several months, the only reason I have remained on council is because resigning too early would have resulted in dismissal of my recall appeal.”
She said it was important to allow the state supreme court to rule on her case.
Lauser also said she can now be more effective outside of a political role.
“I’ve been able to do more to feed the hungry outside this position than in it. I’ve done more to provide shelter for the homeless outside this position than in it. And I’ve done far more to defend the constitutional rights of my constituents outside this position than in it,” she read from her statement. “I have more important things to do, and holding political power is no longer necessary to get them done.”
Lauser told Uplift Local she plans, among other things, to focus on strengthening Skamania’s Pride celebrations, and providing safe spaces for gender diverse people.
Other Stevenson city council members and Mayor Jenny Taylor, who Lauser had told of her plans in advance, gave little visible reaction as Lauser read her resignation letter, thanking her for her service before continuing council business.
Taylor had little further to say about the impact of Lauser’s resignation or her time as a Stevenson council member, the first openly transgender person in that position. In an email exchange with Uplift Local, Taylor simply noted that Lauser plans to continue to attend council meetings and offer public comments on issues.
“Our meetings remain open to all members of the community, and public comment continues to be an important part of that process,” Taylor wrote.
Former Stevenson council member Pat Rice, who resigned last month, said Lauser’s topless protests “raised real questions about free speech, public expectations, and how we handle disagreement in a small community.” He said he hoped the community can move forward “in a way that focuses on serving residents.”
Lauser made her last policy proposal as a council member at the body’s March 5 meeting, introducing a motion that Stevenson declare itself a sanctuary city for people of diverse gender identities. No one seconded the motion, and it didn’t move forward.
The remaining council members have 90 days to appoint a replacement to fill out the rest of Lauser’s term, which ends in 2027. Taylor anticipates interviewing candidates and choosing a replacement at the council’s April 16 meeting. Applications are expected to be posted on the city website this week.
At last week’s meeting, Jeff Breckel, formerly the chair of Stevenson’s planning commission, was sworn in to fill the seat left vacant by Rice’s resignation.
Lauser’s first topless protest was held last March 31, marked internationally as a day to promote visibility of transgender people.
Her resignation is effective March 31, 2026.
•••
Emily Harris is a co-founder and Uplift Local's Community Journalism Director, overseeing the local newsroom network and the Documenters program.
Commented