First Gay Premier

From The Globe and Mail:
"Wynne Makes History as First Openly Gay PremierIn Canada"

Nine years ago, Kathleen Wynne was a social activist-turned school trustee who handily knocked off a sitting cabinet minister to earn a seat in the Ontario legislature. On Saturday evening, she made history on two fronts: as the first woman chosen to lead Ontario’s government and the first openly gay premier in the nation’s history. After three rounds of voting, she stormed past Sandra Pupatello at the Ontario Liberal leadership convention in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, defeating her chief rival 1,150 to 866 to succeed Dalton McGuinty. When the results were announced, she joined hands with Ms. Pupatello and raised them in the air, as her supporters’ cheers swelled to a deafening roar  She also addressed, head-on, the worry some Liberals had expressed that an openly-gay candidate could not win a general election. She pointed out that the other candidates – a Portuguese-Canadian, an Indo-Canadian, a Catholic and a woman – would once have been thought unelectable. “I don’t believe the people of Ontario judge their leaders on the basis of race, colour or sexual orientation,” she said to loud cheers from her supporters. “I don’t believe they hold that prejudice in their hearts.”

There had been debate in Ms. Wynne’s camp over whether the topic should be in her speech, but campaign insiders say she insisted on including it. Born and raised in Newmarket, Ont., a suburb north of Toronto, the 59-year-old made her career as a professional mediator. She got into politics by way of activism, joining one group opposing the merger of several municipalities into a single city of Toronto and another advocating for better public education during the 1990s cutbacks of then-premier Mike Harris. Elected a school trustee in 2000, she went to Queen’s Park in 2003 after unseating Tory minister David Turnbull. That same election was the one that brought Mr. McGuinty to power, and Ms. Wynne’s star rose quickly. She became education minister in 2006, working on the government’s signature full-day kindergarten program. Ms. Wynne later served in the transportation and municipal affairs portfolios.

^ It's a good step forward for Canada to have it's first openly gay Premier (which is like a Governonr in the US.) I don't know anything about her politics or policies but I hope she helps Ontario and Canada. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/wynne-makes-history-as-first-openly-gay-premier-in-canada/article7894440/