Ireland has Gay PM

[broadwayislive]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/02/leo-varadkar-becomes-irelands-prime-minister-elect

[Call_me_jorge]

Ireland is probably the greatest country ever right now. Hoping the South Bend mayor runs for president, I wouldn't mind him being the first gay US prez.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Boy do we need good news like this these days. Voting in someone gay is one amazing thing, but voting in the son of Indian immigrants is even more impressive. So proud of the Irish people today.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

It's heartening how Ireland has managed to cast off the shackles of the Catholic Church. Amazing to think that contraception was only legalized in the 1980s, divorce only legalized in 1996 after a tight referendum (50.7% to 49.3%) - yet only two years ago same-sex marriage was overwhelmingly voted in by the same electorate (63% to 37%). Why it's almost enough to give qolbinau some hope.

Of course this new Prime Minister wasn't actually voted in the people - he got there the same way Theresa May did in the UK, a vacancy arose after the sitting PM resigned, but that's beside the point. The fact he happens to be an anti-choice fiscal conservative is a blot against him, but at least its a reminder of the redundancy of sterotypes, I guess.

[Cat Guy]

For several years, there was an active marriage equality campaign in Ireland which led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.  By popular vote, a whopping 62% said 'YES!".  I followed the campaign; this was one of my favorite ads.

 

 

 

[Dave28282]

It's actually sad that that is still an issue today. Because his sexual orientation should not have anything to do with his function.

Gay people have been everywhere since forever. I mean we've even had a gay American president, but people just didn't know it. It does not change a person or his function whatsoever.

We shouldn't applaud people for not being judgmental, it should be the standard.

[qolbinau]

I agree we shouldn't have to applaud, but given how badly gay people are treated and thought about across the world I certainly find this news refreshing and something to celebrate. Jay Lerner-Z is right, it is almost enough to give me hope. 

[Valentina3]

Sigh - 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/04/gay-irish-prime-minister-leo-varadkar-fine-gael-taoiseach

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Meanwhile, in the northern part of the island (the "deep south" of Ireland), a bunch of Christian fundamentalist bigots get ready to prop up Theresa May's UK government...

THERESA MAY COULD ENTER A COALITION WITH HOMOPHOBIC DUP AFTER HUNG PARLIAMENT ELECTION RESULT

[qolbinau]

It really does hurt sometimes to read what some people have to say about gay people sometimes when the experience of being gay - of loving someone and being mutually sexually attracted to someone - is so nice. And much hotter than two old straight kooks. I wish people would just leave us alone.