Iceland to endorse Gay PM

[trillionaire]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/31/iceland-gayrights


Iceland ready to endorse first openly gay PM

Iceland was poised last night to give the world its first openly gay prime minister as Johanna Sigurdardottir prepared to be installed as an interim government leader to take the embattled country through to elections in the spring.

Sigurdardottir, who would also be Iceland''s first woman prime minister, owes her sudden elevation to the removal of the previous coalition after weeks of raucous street protests whipped up by anger and desolation at the startling collapse of Iceland''s financial system. She was expected to head a coalition of her own Social Democratic party with the Left-Greens, who have emerged from the crisis as probably Europe''s most popular Green party.

For Sigurdardottir, Iceland''s longest serving MP, it has been a long and somewhat circuitous route to the top. Three decades ago, she was a cabin attendant and union official, the mother of two sons and married to a banker.

Her union connections brought her into politics, first as an MP in 1978, then as a minister in 1987 and vice-chairman of the party. By the mid 1990s, she was challenging for the top party job. On being defeated she predicted "my time will come", a phrase that has since become a standard aphorism in the Icelandic language.

"She has credible compassion with those less well off and a willingness to improve their lot," said her then rival, Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson. But in an interview with the daily Morgunbladid, he added: "She is a loner, focused but narrow-minded."

She formed her own party in 1995, but was back with the Social Democrats in 2000, and rejoined the government as social affairs minister in 2007.

In 2002, at the age of 60, she married Jonina Leosdottir, a writer, in a civil ceremony.

 

[WishfulThinking]

I saw this yesterday! This is pretty darn cool, although not entirely unexpected, considering Iceland''s social history. She''s unfortunately not expected to last though the spring elections, but that has more to do with potential losses on the part of the coalition party she heads rather than any issues with her in particular, including issues with her sex or sexual preference. She is a very interesting woman.

 

[iheartscience]

I saw this too! Good for her, and for Iceland. Hopefully someday the U.S. will be at that level of acceptance for all of our citizens.

Sometimes it seems like our evolution is a few light years behind Europe/Scandinavia, but when I get down on the U.S. I try to remind myself that we''re still a baby when it comes down to it. Those nations have had thousands of years to work all their stuff out, and we''ve only been around a few hundred. Not that that is an excuse, of course, but I''m hoping that after another couple of decades we''ll be able to join most of the other industrialized nations at the grown up table.

 

[miraclesrule]

It is great news!! It show that people are more becoming more fond of supporting a person based on the content of their character than the color of their skin, their gender, or a projected inherent bias.

I also agree that it is an embarrassment that the U.S. lags so far behind other developed nations in growing out of it''s collectively narrow-minded intolerance. It wouldn''t be so embarrassing if we didn''t tout ourselves as the world leaders.

 

[waxing lyrical]

That''s wonderful news. Good for them!

 

[WishfulThinking]

Date: 1/30/2009 11:09:54 PM
Author: miraclesrule
It is great news!! It show that people are more becoming more fond of supporting a person based on the content of their character than the color of their skin, their gender, or a projected inherent bias.

I also agree that it is an embarrassment that the U.S. lags so far behind other developed nations in growing out of it''s collectively narrow-minded intolerance. It wouldn''t be so embarrassing if we didn''t tout ourselves as the world leaders.

Bolded is what does it for me, too. It''s bad enough that I have to deal personally with the ramifications of our cultural dysfunction, but that instead of recognizing that we''re behind on some stuff we act as if WE have the high ground and their societies are slipping into cultural decline because of the changing social atmosphere is a little too much for me. Otherwise I''d agree with Thingo on the baby nation thing.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 1/30/2009 11:21:06 PM
Author: WishfulThinking

Date: 1/30/2009 11:09:54 PM

Author: miraclesrule

It is great news!! It show that people are more becoming more fond of supporting a person based on the content of their character than the color of their skin, their gender, or a projected inherent bias.

I also agree that it is an embarrassment that the U.S. lags so far behind other developed nations in growing out of it''s collectively narrow-minded intolerance. It wouldn''t be so embarrassing if we didn''t tout ourselves as the world leaders.

Bolded is what does it for me, too. It''s bad enough that I have to deal personally with the ramifications of our cultural dysfunction, but that instead of recognizing that we''re behind on some stuff we act as if WE have the high ground and their societies are slipping into cultural decline because of the changing social atmosphere is a little too much for me. Otherwise I''d agree with Thingo on the baby nation thing.

Yes, great point about us being "world leaders." We''re definitely NOT even close to being leaders when it comes to many social justice issues.