When lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) politicians run for public office without hiding their sexuality from the community, they often must combat more than just opposition to their political views. This was evidenced early on in politics as seen in the movie 'Milk', the Oscar winning movie about Harvey Milk. Milk was California's first openly gay elected official, assassinated by a rival. Although it may increase the risk to personal safety, being open about sexuality may invite people to believe that openness and transparency will trickle through to political life. The politicians highlighted here are a small representation of elected LGBT politicians making a difference.
Lesbian Prime Minister of Iceland
In February 2009, Iceland became the first country in the world to elect an openly gay leader. Johanna Sigurdardottir is an out lesbian and took over the small nation of 300,000 people at the height of the world's economic collapse. Sigurdardottir is a former flight attendant and is now the elected leader of the world's oldest parliament. Forbes magazine ranked her #75 in the 100 Most Powerful Women poll. Her lesbianism has not been an issue for her with the public - she is a very popular figure in Iceland where she had previously served in a number of political capacities. Although Sigurdardottir did not run on a gay rights platform, her election only serves to bolster the confidence and self-esteem of lesbians and the LGBT community in general.
Gay Mayor of Paris
Bertrand Delanoe became Mayor of Paris in 2001. A very popular figure, he may run for the Presidency of France in 2012. Delanoe is an example of how being out and open about sexuality in public life can increase the risk to personal safety. Delanoe was stabbed in 2002 by a man who reported that he hated homosexuals. He survived and has introduced many popular programs in Paris, including Paris Plage, and a bike rental program, trying to increase non-vehicular traffic in the downtown area. In 2009, Delanoe spoke out against Pope Benedict who had said that condoms were not helpful in the fight against AIDS.
I Am Gay and It's OK That Way
With those words, Klaus Wowereit came out prior to seeking the Mayor of Berlin post. He was elected Mayor in 2001. Wowereit champions the arts and culture and his vision has made Berlin the third most visited city in Europe. His openness about his sexuality has inspired others to come out, using that same slogan. Wowereit has an autobiography out, called in German "....und das ist auch gut so", not surprisingly means 'I Am Gay and It's OK That Way'.
New German Foreign Minister
Guido Westerwelle is pegged to become Germany's next foreign minister. Westerwelle came out in 2004 after his political opponents kept hinting at his sexuality. The post of foreign minister will likely be decided towards the end of October 2009. His focus will be on human rights in China and Russia. Westerwelle became the first openly gay leader of a mainstream political party in Germany in 2001. International foreign affairs analysts are watching to see what role he might play in the Middle East as foreign minister. Will he use his high profile platform to speak out against countries in that region that use the death penalty and torture on homosexuals?
Gays and Lesbians Underrepresented in Politics
Barney Frank is the most prominent gay politician in Congress. The Massachusetts' representative has championed human rights/gay rights since coming out in 1987. Most recently, Frank spoke out again the UN General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki who criticized the US for wanting to introduce a resolution that opposes making it a crime to be gay. He called Treki's remarks typical of Libya - 'offensive, stupid, and bigoted.' The only other US Congressman to come out is Jared Polis (Colorado) and the only out lesbian is Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin.)
For a country of 300 plus million people, the LGBT community remains grossly under-represented. David Cicilline is the only openly gay Mayor of a US state capital - he became Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island in 2002. In early 2009, Sam Adams became Mayor of Portland, a city of 570,000 people, making that city the largest in the nation to elect an openly gay mayor.
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