Johanna Sigurdardottir is Iceland's new Prime Minister - and she happens to be gay.
I get frustrated when people like Chris Trotter go on about "identity politics" within the Labour Party. For me such success is not about identity politics but about social democracy in action. Johanna Sigurdardottir was clearly the best person for the job.
The social democratic mission is about ensuring that people have the opportunity to succeed regardless of their background (age, sex, gender, disability, income, family background, religion). I don't celebrate Johanna Sigurdartottir because she is gay: I celebrate Johanna because she was the best person for the job, and Johanna and the Icelandic people did not let sexuality be a barrier to her success.
Hat tip (No Right Turn)
Tony, put it this way. This isn't a big deal in Icelandic politics. The population there are bemused that many are placing such an emphasis on what she does in the privacy of her own bedroom.
The best person for the job got the job. What she does in her spare time does not have anything to do with how she will run Iceland, which is in it's biggest financial crisis in history.
Posted by: Clint Heine | Thursday, 05 February 2009 at 10:54 AM
We had a bit of a discussion about this at The Hand Mirror too. My instinct is that when some types of people (women, men, non-heteros, Maori, whoever) aren't getting certain jobs or whatever then there might be some barriers that are resulting in that, so let's name it and look it and do what we can.
Posted by: Julie | Thursday, 05 February 2009 at 11:54 AM
Clint, I'm afraid. We entirely agree on something!
Posted by: Jordan Carter | Thursday, 05 February 2009 at 12:39 PM
I work in removing barriers to work and education myself and we keep the "sexual" politcs out of it completely. The gay people I work with would be mortified if we had to start to pander to them just because of their bedroom habits.
The fact that she is lesbian will not play any part in her doing a good job/bad job... and boy does she have a lot to do!
Be afraid Jordan! If it happens more than twice more then watch out for lightning bolts!
Posted by: Clint Heine | Friday, 06 February 2009 at 02:57 AM