Tag Archives: gay politicians

The Indianapolis Star reports: Vice President Mike Pence’s breakfast with new Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was closed to the media — at the request of the vice president. In a departure from the recent past, reporters were told Friday’s event to be attended by Pence and Varadkar will be private and the media won’t be invited. Pence also had …

The New York Daily News reports: Corey Johnson was elected City Council speaker in an overwhelming vote Wednesday, capping months of maneuvering that will make him the city’s second-most-powerful elected official. Johnson — a Manhattan Democrat who is gay and HIV positive — was chosen in a 48-1 vote. Councilwoman Inez Barron, who mounted her own last-minute bid for speaker …

The New York Daily News reports: Mayor de Blasio gave his blessing Thursday to a deal that is likely to make Councilman Corey Johnson the next City Council speaker. Johnson, a Manhattan Democrat, sewed up the backing Wednesday of the Queens and Bronx county Democratic leaders, who brought with them support from enough Council members to give him the win. …

The Associated Press reports: Tim Wilson, a 37-year-old lawmaker in the conservative coalition government, was among the first lawmakers to join the House of Representatives debate and toward the end of his speech popped the question to his partner of seven years Ryan Bolger, who was watching from the public gallery. “In my first speech I defined our bond by …

The Advocate reports: Jenny Durkan has been elected mayor of Seattle, making her the city’s first out lesbian mayor and its first woman mayor since the 1920s. Durkan won 61 percent of the vote, more than 21 percentage points ahead of her opponent, Cary Moon, The Seattle Times reports. Durkan is a former federal prosecutor, having been appointed U.S. attorney …

The Associated Press reports: Serbia’s first-ever openly gay prime minister joined several hundred gay activists Sunday at a gay pride march that was held amid tight security in the conservative Balkan country. Holding rainbow flags, balloons and a banner reading “For change,” pride participants gathered in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, before setting off on a march through the city. Many …

Reuters reports: Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar attended a gay rights event on Saturday during his first official visit to Northern Ireland, upsetting some social conservatives in the only region of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is still illegal. Varadkar, who became Ireland’s first openly gay leader when he took office in June, joined activists preparing for Northern Ireland’s …

The Dallas Voice reports: Dallas businessman Jeffery Payne on Friday, July 14, announced that he is running for governor of Texas, challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who he characterizes as a “disaster for Texans” and a governor who “offers nothing in the way of new ideas.” “Texas needs a governor who believes in real Texas values, like integrity, honesty, freedom …

The Associated Press reports: Serbian lawmakers have elected a lesbian as the country’s first female prime minister, making history in the predominantly conservative Balkan country. Parliament voted 157-55 on Thursday to approve the government of 41-year-old Ana Brnabic, who became the nation’s first openly gay head of government. Serbia’s powerful President Aleksandar Vucic nominated the Western-educated Brnabic for the post …

The Associated Press reports: Serbia’s president on Thursday nominated the highly conservative country’s first openly gay prime minister, a move likely to infuriate both the Christian Orthodox church and ultranationalists. President Aleksandar Vucic announced that Ana Brnabic, 41, was nominated as the prime minister-designate, which could also make her the first female head of government in the country’s history. Her …

History!!! The Independent reports: Leo Varadkar is the new leader of Fine Gael and on course to become Ireland’s first gay Taoiseach. The Social Protection Minister got the support of 51 TDs, senators and MEP to get over the line despite losing the popular vote. Massive cheers greeted Mr Varadkar as he arrived at the count centre in the Mansion …

AL.com reports: Alabama’s special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat has a new and unexpected candidate. Michael Hansen, the openly gay executive director of Alabama environmental advocacy group Gasp, announced on social media that he is seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Luther Strange and vacated in January by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Let’s not kid ourselves, …

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: Seattle Mayor Ed Murray won’t seek a second term in office, dropping his reelection bid as he faces allegations of sexual abuse from four men. Little more than a month after Murray was first publicly accused of paying a teen boy for sex in the 1980s, Murray said Tuesday morning that he will remain in office …

Until yesterday, no openly gay person had ever been elected to any public office anywhere in Alaska. Today they have two. Alaska Commons reports: In 2009, the Anchorage Assembly passed an ordinance banning workplace and employment discrimination against LGBTQ residents of the municipality. Then-Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the measure. In 2012, in an election fraught with voting issues, voters overwhelmingly …

NBC News reports: A New York lawmaker says his idea to require presidential candidates to release their tax returns is catching on in other states. State Sen. Brad Hoylman says lawmakers in more than a dozen other states are working on similar proposals. The Manhattan Democrat says it’s appropriate for state lawmakers to set the rules for ballot eligibility and …

The Washington Post reports: A Maryland delegate spoke in personal terms on Monday night as he joined advocates and supporters of a bill that would require companies to provide paid sick leave to their employees. Del. Luke H. Clippinger (D-Baltimore) shared for the first time publicly that he was diagnosed in June with a rare form of leukemia. Two weeks …

Via email from openly gay Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims: This afternoon I announced with Mayor Kenney and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), legislation banning the practice of conversion therapy on minors, aimed at changing their sexual orientation. In my experience, there is oftentimes a deeply rooted connection to religious fundamentalism that underscores the thought processes of many advocates of …

From the Bay Area Reporter: California has banned most taxpayer-funded travel to four states that have adopted anti-LGBT laws. In addition to the three Southern states that the state attorney general’s office had identified in November for inclusion on the list – Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee – Kansas was also named to the official list posted online January 1. …

The New York Times loves the idea. From their editorial board: President-elect Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns during the campaign and there is no sign that he will, ever. He broke longstanding tradition and set a terrible precedent for future presidential candidates. Good government groups have been wringing their hands about what to do. Now comes an …

The clip is already getting notice overseas. Via Britain’s Mirror: A politician has released a jaw-dropping campaign video to try and convince voters he’s the man for the job – featuring drag queens and a bespoke version of a Katy Perry track. Scott Wiener has put Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to shame with this amazing campaign video which shows …