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LGBT News Gay son of Indian immigrant likely to be Ireland's next leader

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by resu, May 30, 2017.

  1. resu

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    Gay son of Indian immigrant likely to be Ireland's next leader - CNN.com

    I've not heard of Leo Varadkar before, but that would be awesome if we had another LGBT world leader!
     
  2. KyleD

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    That is good. Would he be the first publically gay Prime Minister/Presdent in the world?
     
  3. AKTodd

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    From CNN:

    If elected, Varadkar would be one of two openly gay heads of state currently in office -- Luxembourg's prime minister Xavier Bettel being the other. In the past, two other world leaders went public with their sexuality: Former Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and former Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurõardóttir.

    Todd
     
  4. KyleD

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    Thanks Todd, that is interesting. :slight_smile:
     
  5. 6qurious9

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    That's some really cool info. Had not heard of him before. Thanks for sharing!
     
  6. Sleeping Owl

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    Ayy sick. Also isn't Ireland a little more right wing with respect to lgbt traditionally, at least compared to UK/Europe as a whole?
     
  7. Harve

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    It used to be. Ireland only decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, and Scotland in 1980. They're now two of the most gay-friendly countries in the world.
     
  8. mnguy

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    This is awesome, I hope he wins!!
     
  9. Luka99

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  10. Loves books

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    I'm Irish and still live in Ireland. Ireland as a country voted yes to gay marriage back in 2015 it was the first country to approve same sex marriage by popular vote.Leo Varadkar will be our teaosaich which means president but we have one of those as well so I don't really know why we need two. Everyone knows he is gay and no one cares. I don't really understand the big deal, his sexual orientation has no impact on how he does his job.
     
  11. Aussie792

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    Just a quibble with the CNN quote, there are currently no openly gay heads of state, as a prime minister is the head of government and not of the state.

    Anyway, it's good news for Ireland to have this solidification of homosexuality as an ordinary part of life in a country that's only recently, though quite radically, moved away from being the cultural backwater of Western Europe.
     
  12. randomname123

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  13. IrishEyes

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    Leo Varadkar became Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Wednesday.
    What's been great to see here in Ireland is that it hasn't been a big news story at all. Ireland has come a long way in the last few years.
     
  14. Reciprocal

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    Well done to him. I do like seeing LGBT politicians because it shows that we can do serious jobs. I think it's better than random singers and stuff
     
  15. AlexJames

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    That's so cool! So glad that we've progressed enough that this is a thing! I remember when i was a kid (i'm an early 90's kid) and coming out as just gay would have been a big thing, and nobody in my shows were gay save Marco from Degrassi but i wasn't into Degrassi back then, and nobody in movies were gay let alone the actors. It was like i didn't really exist and didn't have rights. Well would have but i was as oblivious to my own sexuality as i could make myself be while still noticing all the signs. But now so much as changed just in the 25 years i've been alive.

    And for the guy who was asking about why it matters cause his sexuality has no impact on how he does his job - i know that, that's not why we are all excited. I'm guessing i was the same for generations proir of black people, but just seeing that society has progressed enough to look past sexuality and consider his worthiness as a leader of their country - and note hate him just for his sexuality - is a big sign, a really good sign. And it sounds like he's not the first. Love seeing this on here! We never see this news over here in America! Well, Texas really. For all i know California will air it haha.
     
    #15 AlexJames, Jun 18, 2017
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2017
  16. Loves books

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    Ireland doesn't have a great track record with taoiseachs the ones I remember turned out bad. I was watching the stuff about Leo Varadkar with my dad on t.v and to listen to my dad talk about how horrible it was they gave an Indian the job when there was plenty of Irish people who were qualified. This comes from the man who's convicted every Syrian refugee is a member of ISIS. Maybe I should be happy he's just racist and didn't act homophobic about the fact Varadkar is gay.
     
  17. PatrickUK

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    The new Taoiseach visited 10 Downing Street for talks with British PM, Theresa May earlier this week. In his opening comments at the post meeting press conference he made reference to a scene from the film Love Actually and seemed rather disappointed when he discovered that Hugh Grant didn't actually dance on the famous staircase. :laughing:

    https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0620/884066-leo/