Ireland gets its first gay leader
IRELAND is to have its first openly gay Prime Minister after the Fine Gael party chose Leo Varadkar as its leader.
The 38-year-old yesterday beat rival Simon Coveney to succeed Enda Kenny, and will be confirmed as Taoiseach.
Dublin-born Mr Varadkar, Minister for Social Protection since last May, spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time in 2015. He said: “It’s not something that defines me.
“I’m not a half-Indian politician, or a doctor politician or a gay politician. It’s just part of who I am.”
Mr Varadkar, a doctor, revealed he was gay months before Ireland backed same-sex marriage in a 2015 referendum. Mr Kenny announced last month he was stepping down after 15 years leading Fine Gael. He had been under pressure to make way for a successor ahead of the next general election.
He tweeted yesterday: “I remember this day almost 15 years ago & the sense of excitement & possibility.”