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rfmcdonaldJohn Lorinc's Globe and Mail article on the emergence of out politicians in Canada is worth reading in full. Unfortunately, most of it is behind the paper's subscription firewall.
The previously mentioned Scott Brison, out since 2002, made bids for the Progressive Conservative party leadership in 2003 and for the Liberal Party leadership in 2006. In both campaigns, his sexual orientation wasn't an issue, at least not openly. Television coemdian Rick Mercer suggests in his 2003 interview of Brison that his Nova Scotianness was the problem.
Lorinc does conclude by noting that some of the more prominent gay politicians, like Liberal George Smitherman in Ontario and John Baird for the Conservatives in Ottawa, have become prominent through their aggressiveness: the two men were loud enforcers for their governments, known for being aggressive and constantly on the offensive. Might there be parallels with the way that the first crop of female national leaders--Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, say--were notable for their hard-headedness and aggressiveness? If gay politicians now, like female politicians a couple of decades ago, have to be aggressive in order to be taken seriously, contrary to Lorinc's assertion there's still a way to go.
"What are things like in your countries," I ask my readers.
When Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman kissed his spouse, Christopher Peloso, before a bank of cameras this week, he announced his campaign with a public display of affection normally reserved for heterosexual candidates and their spouses.
The gesture may have appeared casual, but it signalled two things to Canadians: that same-sex marriage is becoming an acceptable part of the country's social and political geography and that being openly gay is no longer a liability for politicians. As David Rayside, a University of Toronto professor of political science and sexual diversity, notes, “Visibility counts.”
Mr. Smitherman will be getting a whole lot more visibility during the next year as he seeks to become the first gay mayor of Canada's largest city. And he may not be the only candidate reaching for that goal: He will probably be challenged by another openly gay politician, Glen Murray. The two-term former mayor of Winnipeg has not yet formally announced his candidacy, but he has acknowledged that he is considering joining the race.
Their opponent, in turn, will almost certainly be businessman and radio host John Tory, a socially progressive conservative who once lost a hard-fought provincial riding race to another openly gay candidate, Kathleen Wynne.
As a one-time health minister, Mr. Smitherman, 44, will certainly face far more questions about his role in the eHealth Ontario scandal than about his sexual orientation. That's as it should be. Few Torontonians – or Vancouverites or Montrealers – would be surprised to learn that lifestyle is no longer an issue in local politics. But are Canadians outside large urban centres – especially those in small towns or rural areas – prepared to elect openly gay politicians to top leadership roles, such as premier or prime minister?
Pollster Michael Adams, who tracks social values in Canada, says sexual orientation isn't an issue. “We're at the point where we're past it,” he says. “There are groups whose cultural differences are more controversial than being gay.”
The previously mentioned Scott Brison, out since 2002, made bids for the Progressive Conservative party leadership in 2003 and for the Liberal Party leadership in 2006. In both campaigns, his sexual orientation wasn't an issue, at least not openly. Television coemdian Rick Mercer suggests in his 2003 interview of Brison that his Nova Scotianness was the problem.
Lorinc does conclude by noting that some of the more prominent gay politicians, like Liberal George Smitherman in Ontario and John Baird for the Conservatives in Ottawa, have become prominent through their aggressiveness: the two men were loud enforcers for their governments, known for being aggressive and constantly on the offensive. Might there be parallels with the way that the first crop of female national leaders--Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, say--were notable for their hard-headedness and aggressiveness? If gay politicians now, like female politicians a couple of decades ago, have to be aggressive in order to be taken seriously, contrary to Lorinc's assertion there's still a way to go.
"What are things like in your countries," I ask my readers.
