World gets its first gay leader

[KurtFF8]

Source (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-gets-its-first-gay-head-of-state-1519068.html)


Former air hostess to be sworn in as Icelandic premier after economic collapse By Peter Popham
Thursday, 29 January 2009
http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00121/pg-2-iceland_121476t.jpg (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-gets-its-first-gay-leader-1519068.html?action=Popup)
Johanna Sigurdardottir is Iceland's new Prime Minister


© http://www.independent.co.uk/independent.co.uk/images/i_photos.gif Pink power: Four pioneering gay politicians (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-gets-its-first-gay-leader-1519068.html?action=Popup)


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The first government collapse of the global economic crisis is about to yield the world's first openly-gay leader. Johanna Sigurdardottir, a former air hostess, is expected to be sworn in as Iceland's Prime Minister by the end of the week.
Her moment in the international spotlight comes at the most horrendous moment in her nation's recent history. As the global meltdown began, the collapse of Iceland's grossly over-leveraged economy was followed smartly by the implosion of its banks and currency. Now its government has gone the same way, the first to succumb to the backwash from the crisis.
Ms Sigurdardottir's party, the Social Democrat Alliance, was asked to form a new government but its leader is taking a leave of absence to recover from treatment for a benign tumour. And so, "Saint Johanna", as she has come to be known, has been propelled from the social affairs ministry – which she has presided over for a decade – to take centre stage in a choice hailed as "unexpected but brilliant".
The 66-year-old politician lives with her partner, Jonina Leosdottir, a journalist and playwright. The couple were joined in a civil ceremony in 2002. Don't expect them to show up togetherfor photocalls, however – that's not the Icelandic way. Though she is famous across the island, having been a top politician for years, her lesbian union was no big deal in this calmly progressive nation of only 300,000 people.
"Johanna is a very private person," said an Icelandic government source. "A lot of people didn't even know she was gay. When they learn about it people tend to shrug and say, 'Oh'. That's not to say they are not interested; they are interested in who she's living with – but no more so than if she was a man living with a woman."
Ms Sigurdardottir has two grown-up sons. She entered politics via the labour movement, was first elected to parliament in 1978 and was given her first ministerial office in 1987. She will be Prime Minister of a minority caretaker government composed of her Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Greens, with outside support. It is only expected to hold office for two or three months, until fresh elections are called.
"In opinion polls Johanna has repeatedly been chosen as the most popular politician in Iceland," said the government source. "She is a good choice, because one of the problems the government is facing is lack of trust. Getting Johanna to become Prime Minister was a way of saying trust is an issue. Politicians want a fresh mandate from the electorate and, before they get it, they need to rebuild trust. Choosing Johanna is a way of saying, 'Let's bridge this gap, let's have peace to be able to implement the emergency measures'."
Geir Haarde, the former prime minister, endured months of angry protests over his poor handling of the economy; demonstrators pelted his car with eggs and police were forced to use tear gas on the streets for the first time in 50 years. Compare that to a poll in November that gave Ms Sigurdardottir a 73 per cent approval rating, she was the only minister to improve on the previous year's score.
"She is often described as the only politician who really cares about the little guy," wrote Icelandic journalist Iris Erlingsdottir in a blog this week.
She did stand for the leadership of her party back in 1994 and lost badly, but in her concession speech she predicted "my time will come". And some 15 years later, it truly has.


This will certainly help the gay movement, at least to the extent that the posibility of consciousness raising will have an opportunity to help the movement more.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Wow! That's definitely a step forward for the gay movement. Hopefully none of those religious extremists interfere...

[GPDP]

That's pretty neat.

[kiki75]

I was happy to read this. I'll be even happier when someone's humanity trumps her/his gender or sexuality.

[black magick hustla]

this is not a gain. why should i care if my bosses are white green brown gay straight, or zoophiles?

[apathy maybe]

this is not a gain. why should i care if my bosses are white green brown gay straight, or zoophiles?

It is a gain. However, it isn't a revolutionary gain. Socialists are for equality regardless of sexuality, and while we don't need to support the election of someone because of their sexuality, we should recognize that it is a step forward within capitalism.

Capitalism tends towards social equality (it's bad for business/government not to hire the most competent person for the job regardless of colour, gender etc., or to refuse service to someone because of these characteristics), but it doesn't hurt to applaud when progressive steps are taken.

Of course, we don't care what gender, or sexuality or bosses are, because we are against bosses. But we do care if people are discriminated against on the basis of these characteristics.

[JohnnyC]

This is not going to change homophobic attitude of many people and she certainly will do nothing more for gay rights than any other liberal capitalist.This could be considered a "gain" within capitalism, a progressive step, but still a very small one.It's not like this is going to mean more rights for gay people, it's just a gain for her, the new boss.

[Rjevan]

I'm not sure if it will change any homophobic attitudes, but as apathy maybe said, it is a step forward.

[Le Libérer]

She was appointed because she is a leftist, workerist, and has fought class struggle. The fact that she is a lesbian is secondary. and most Icelanders (72%) approve of her work in the labor unions and as Minster of Social Affairs. So in my opinion, it is a revolutionary gain, one towards leftism and away from Capitalism.

[scarletghoul]

Pretty cool. If only more world leaders were gay.

[JimmyJazz]

It is a gain. However, it isn't a revolutionary gain. Socialists are for equality regardless of sexuality, and while we don't need to support the election of someone because of their sexuality, we should recognize that it is a step forward within capitalism.

Capitalism tends towards social equality (it's bad for business/government not to hire the most competent person for the job regardless of colour, gender etc., or to refuse service to someone because of these characteristics), but it doesn't hurt to applaud when progressive steps are taken.

Of course, we don't care what gender, or sexuality or bosses are, because we are against bosses. But we do care if people are discriminated against on the basis of these characteristics.

Agree. I'm becoming more convinced by the day (and frankly, it's because I've been getting more involved in progressive activities rather than just sitting around reading theory) that rolling back any type of reactionary attitude is a gain for socialism and working class militancy. I could give a million examples.

The fact that there are petty bourgeois and "middle class" gay rights activists means nothing except that privileged people have more time on their hands for activism than workers do. It doesn't in any way indicate that anti-gay prejudice isn't reactionary, or that it doesn't hold back the workers' movement. It does. Only an extremely narrow and simplistic outlook could go from the former fact to the latter conclusion. And that is just the nature of activist circles, including socialist ones: they often tend to be middle class, student types, who have latched on to a particular cause.

Ten percent of the working class is gay. A victory over anti-gay prejudice is an indirect victory for working class solidarity as surely as every victory of gay prejudice adds to an impediment to working class unity.

And the path to power is not, as so many Marxists seem to think (and as I once did as well), in making our message as palatable as possible to as many people as possible, including those who hold all sorts of bigoted and reactionary attitudes. It's in speaking the truth even though it is "radical" and unpopular. Then waiting for a time when material conditions begin to favor a shift in public opinion toward this truth and away from the perspective of capitalism's apologists.

If you despair that such a time will ever come, study history. It has come many times before, and it will come again.

Edit: I do obviously recognize that the election of a gay prime minister or a black president is more a sign of the progress already made than a catalyst for huge further progress. But it does go both ways.

[Dhul Fiqar]

Gay or not gay, she's a strongly committed socialist. We now have a prime minister that believes in class struggle, believes in supporting those who have the least and she believes in destroying the established order in the central bank and sacking the head of the central bank who ruled this country for decades.

A lot of things are going to change around here.

[black magick hustla]

Do you know what is a strong laborite party in Mexico? It is the PRI, which owns the most powerful trade union in latin america. In fact it was a section of that union that led the famous uprising and general strike in oaxaca a few years ago. Do you know what is the PRI famous for? Murdering thousands of working class militants. Do you know who is arguably the most powerful woman in Mexico? esther gordillo, a union leader.

Heads of bourgeois states are enemies, no matter their sexual orientation or the politics they expouse. For me. this a fundamental position of a communist. to hell with the state and to hell with all the people who participate in it.

[black magick hustla]

Pretty cool. If only more world leaders were gay.

if more world leaders where gay there would still be imperialist wars, crisis, and states attacking living conditions. if more world leaders where hispanic, exactly the same thing will happen. geez, people:rolleyes:

[Dhul Fiqar]

a

[Le Libérer]

Do you know what is a strong laborite party in Mexico? It is the PRI, which owns the most powerful trade union in latin america. In fact it was a section of that union that led the famous uprising and general strike in oaxaca a few years ago. Do you know what is the PRI famous for? Murdering thousands of working class militants. Do you know who is arguably the most powerful woman in Mexico? esther gordillo, a union leader.

Heads of bourgeois states are enemies, no matter their sexual orientation or the politics they expouse. For me. this a fundamental position of a communist. to hell with the state and to hell with all the people who participate in it.
I agree with what you are saying here. Reformism never works, we know that. But the difference in the struggle in Mexico and that in Iceland is, Icelands economy has completely collapsed. If I am correct, and I think I am, I've been following this very closely, there is talk of nationalizing the banking system.

It will be interesting to watch what happens in Iceland. I think it is too soon to tell if the new PM will bring forth a socialistic society like she is promising and the people are expecting.

And I believe it can be achieved if she is re-elected in May. The people there are very angry and have demonstrated for the first time, they arent willing to go back to the Capitalistic society that ruined their lives, and those of their children and grandchildrens to come.

[L.J.Solidarity]

I don't expect too much from her and the Social Democrats, as they have been part of the centre-right neoliberal government for at least 10 years. However I wonder what will happen at the elections in May. I presume the Social Democrats and especially the Green-Left Party will lose some of their newly won popularity after forming their coalition. I wonder what will become of the new party people from the protest movement wanted to form according to rumors. If the transitional government fails to take decisive steps (and fail it will, considering that they don't even have a parliamentary majority without the neoliberals), voters will turn away from the coalition parties and vote for any new political force that shows up - hopefully a socialist force.

[eyedrop]

Den nye regjeringen sier at den vil basere sitt økonomiske program på avtalen med Det internasjonale pengefondet IMF, og at den vil skifte ut styret i landets sentralbank.


Source (http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/02/01/nyheter/utenriks/island/regjering/4642275/)

Translation; The new governemt says that it will base it's economical program on the deal with IMF, and that it will change the leadership in the sentral bank.

I'm somewhat sceptical on the government if they already are saying that they will base their economical program on IMF deals, not that they got much choice anyway.


PS! I didn't even know she was gay before I saw it here

[apathy maybe]

Oh yeah, this women, this "socialist", is she really a socialist? I've heard that Iceland is on the fast track to EU membership, hardly a club of communist nations! (Yes, I'm aware of the contradiction that last phrase.)

Now we have eyedrop telling us that the government will follow what the IMF says! Well, I don't give two shits if she is gay or not, I don't want any government at all!

We want to get rid of governments, you can't trust a person in government just because they say that they are left-wing, socialist, green or whatever. You can only trust them by their actions to get rid of government (which they will never do).

(Anyone who says this is a revolutionary gain is delusional. I don't think anyone here as said as much though.)

@LiquidPoetess and Dhul Fiqar, do you think that socialistic is good enough? Do you think that, even if reelected, the government will move to abolish capitalism? (As opposed to merely providing it with a "human face"?)

I've found that too many "socialists" don't want to get rid of capitalism, they just want to make it more "human friendly", even if they are avowed "socialists". Yes, you can nationalise stuff all you want (post-war Britain), but unless you fundamentally change the economic structure...

[Le Libérer]

@LiquidPoetess and Dhul Fiqar, do you think that socialistic is good enough? Do you think that, even if reelected, the government will move to abolish capitalism? (As opposed to merely providing it with a "human face"?) I cant speak for Dhul, and he is more in the know than I, but from what I am told, she is a socialist. The agreement set up with the IMF was done by the former PM who resigned. The agreement was set back in Oct, so I'm not sure if Johanna has many more options than that. Concerning their app for the EU, joining was perceived as their only way out of the economic collapse by the former administration, so pinning this on the new appointed PM seems a bit unfair.

Of course I have no way of predicting the outcome, but I'm hopeful for Iceland, as is most Icelanders.

[SocialRealist]

What I care for is equal opportunities. One should not be given the head of state just due to the fact they are a certain sexuality in this case, or should they be given anymore of a chance to be in office due to their sexuality.

Yes though, this is a good move that another sexuality has been given the rank of head of state.

[al8]

As a person living in Iceland and being a communist, my interpretation is that her appointment doesn't make a diff. She's just a facial surgery on a rotten system. She is also part of a populist social democratic party nonetheless. And I can't see what her long since past self has to do with what position and purpose she now serves.

And this is not that exiting. Parlimentary politics rarely are. But what could be neet with this situation is that all capitalist parlimentary parties might get discredited. I wish them all to loose and none of them to win.

[KurtFF8]

I doubt that many on this forum believe that her electoin is revolutionary in the class sense. But you have to take into account that the social importance of this new head of state, while not "revolutionary", is still quite significant, as was Barack Obama's.

[Melbourne Lefty]

what are her actial policies.

I am not really that interested in who she likes in bed, and neither should any other revolutionary.

Class is the basis for all progress, and while the gay rights movement has played its part it is a small part.

[KurtFF8]

what are her actial policies.

I am not really that interested in who she likes in bed, and neither should any other revolutionary.

Class is the basis for all progress, and while the gay rights movement has played its part it is a small part.

Isn't that a contradiction? The gay rights movement has actually been quite marginalized by the left historically. The USSR may have been the first nation to legalize homosexuality, but Stalin turned right around and "re-banned" it. Some Maoist parties in the "Third World" still believe homosexuality to be a "symptom of capitalism".

While working class homosexuals deserve every bit as emancipation from capitalism as heterosexuals), the gay rights struggle is a social struggle against social oppression that can't be fully reduced to class struggle (yes such things do exist)

[Ephydriad]

Excellent... maybe people will start waking up and realising that we're not all that different and that labels are for soup cans...

[Yazman]

She was appointed because she is a leftist, workerist, and has fought class struggle. The fact that she is a lesbian is secondary. and most Icelanders (72%) approve of her work in the labor unions and as Minster of Social Affairs. So in my opinion, it is a revolutionary gain, one towards leftism and away from Capitalism.

Do you seriously believe that there can be revolutionary gains through reform? Furthermore, do you believe that there can be moves "away from capitalism", WITHIN capitalism?

The assertion that she worked in labour unions and so is somehow more helpful to the working class while in power in a capitalist system comes to me as quite a ridiculous one, especially having grown up in Australia, a country which has experienced many such people as prime ministers. Most of whom brought us further away from the left and closer to full blown neo-liberal capitalism than the avowed capitalists did!

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

I don't know much about the situation, but it's probably not the best idea to jump the gun until we know for, a.k.a. something actually happens one way or another.

[Revy]

I'm gay. I don't support someone simply because they are historic. I support those that are revolutionary and represent what I believe in. She is part of the Social Democrat capitalist party. I stand with the proletariat regardless of sexual orientation and I don't care who is at the helm, the system still needs to fall down.

Nonetheless, it is good that her being lesbian wasn't so much an obstacle to her being elected.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

I'm gay. I don't support someone simply because they are historic. I support those that are revolutionary and represent what I believe in. She is part of the Social Democrat capitalist party. I stand with the proletariat regardless of sexual orientation and I don't care who is at the helm, the system still needs to fall down.

Nonetheless, it is good that her being lesbian wasn't so much an obstacle to her being elected.

OMG! I know this is a bit off topic, but three former mayors of my city were from your political party! I knew one of them, he was a great man! Frank Zeidler was a very admirable man and he was one of our former mayors and was an SP member!

Back to topic, I will wait to see what her actions turn out to be before I support or criticize her.

[Political_Chucky]

if more world leaders where gay there would still be imperialist wars, crisis, and states attacking living conditions. if more world leaders where hispanic, exactly the same thing will happen. geez, people:rolleyes:

Exactly. Ideas that because people of color or of different sexual identities are now world leaders is a step in the right direction for class struggle is naive and gullible. I am all for the eradication of discrimination(which is a long shot now a days), but leaders who are subject to this discrimination are irrelevant when compared to their politics of class struggle.

[Yazman]

OMG! I know this is a bit off topic, but three former mayors of my city were from your political party! I knew one of them, he was a great man! Frank Zeidler was a very admirable man and he was one of our former mayors and was an SP member!

Back to topic, I will wait to see what her actions turn out to be before I support or criticize her.

There's no reason to support her unless you are a reformist.

[Bilan]

Wasn't the first elected gay leader Harvey Milk anyway?

[Bitter Ashes]

He was a senator not a head of state I believe :)

[Cult of Reason]

As a pedant, I must protest! :P

Jóhanna is not the head of state, but is the head of government as she is the Prime Minister. The head of state, i.e. President, is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who holds little real power.

[Dimentio]

Pretty cool. If only more world leaders were gay.

Agreed, we should only have black, lesbian females at the top. :D :D :D

http://www.apakistannews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/condoleezza_rice.jpg

[diome]

I think this is a step forward for the gay rights movement. Even if people didn't agree on all what they are doing, I think it's important that gay people have the same rights as straight people. Only if gays are treated in exactly the same way as straight people are, there can be true gay anarchists etc.

Stuff one is not allowed to do (or which is impossible to achieve) doesn't really count as revolutionary to me. For instance if gay marriage isn't allowed, there's nothing "revolutionary" to being an unmarried gay person living with a significant other. Only when gay marriage is allowed, there start to be true options in lifestyle.

What comes to the socialist part, I don't know what this person is like in that aspect. But I think the world does need also socialist leaders. Even if the ideal was not to have any leaders at all. Ideals aren't reality unfortunately (to me an anarchist society is an utopy, which likely couldn't happen at all). And from a pragmatic point of view it's better to have liberal socialist leaders instead of conservative right wing leaders.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

There's no reason to support her unless you are a reformist.

Well, I'd wait until I see what she does before I jump to conclusions as to not be a premature judgmental moron.

I wouldn't rule my potential support for someone out until they actually do something wrong.

[Yazman]

Well, I'd wait until I see what she does before I jump to conclusions as to not be a premature judgmental moron.

I wouldn't rule my potential support for someone out until they actually do something wrong.

As a communist there is no logical reason for you to be truly supportive of one who is head of government in a capitalist state, unless you are a reformist. There are things I like about Correa for instance but this doesn't mean I support him; at the end of the day no matter how progressive a capitalist is, they are still a capitalist and they will not bring us any closer to a post-capitalist society.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Until you see what one actually does, you can't truly know where they stand.

And even then you can't be sure because most people (aside from ideologues, on all sides) are not static characters. People change. Reasonable people's views are generally not smelted into rigid dogmas.

Edit: and "communist" might not be the right word for me.

I'm an Ochsist :tongue_smilie:

[KurtFF8]

Exactly. Ideas that because people of color or of different sexual identities are now world leaders is a step in the right direction for class struggle is naive and gullible. I am all for the eradication of discrimination(which is a long shot now a days), but leaders who are subject to this discrimination are irrelevant when compared to their politics of class struggle.

Right, which is why not all fights against social oppression are directly reduced to class struggle.

[Yazman]

What the hell is "Ochsism?"

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

My fifth classic is Phil Ochs. My fourth is Woody Guthrie.

Edit: If you're about to make a serious response to that statement, you need to lighten up.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

if more world leaders where gay there would still be imperialist wars, crisis, and states attacking living conditions. if more world leaders where hispanic, exactly the same thing will happen. geez, people:rolleyes:

But if they were as fabulous as me they'd be too busy making out with each other.

[political_animal]

It's great to see that there is (on the surface) a turning away from homophobic discrimination but ultimately, it should be completely irrelevant.

One thing though, I don't think many people on here would think of Thatcher as being a great step forward for women's rights would they?

[Ol' Dirty]

I feel the same way about her as i do about obama: they're still in politricks, but it's good to see black men and lesbians in positions of leadership.:thumbup1:

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

I should run for President and become the first Mexican-American Openly Gay president in US history. I'd make the white house the white house with pretty unicorns painted on it. Yeah, I don't think that the political climate in the US can handle me. lol.

[Orange Juche]

this is not a gain. why should i care if my bosses are white green brown gay straight, or zoophiles?

Because it shows that homosexuality has come to be accepted enough in that culture that a gay person could get to that position. It is a representation of the advancement in social acceptance of the gay community.

[Dhul Fiqar]

I don't expect too much from her and the Social Democrats, as they have been part of the centre-right neoliberal government for at least 10 years. However I wonder what will happen at the elections in May. I presume the Social Democrats and especially the Green-Left Party will lose some of their newly won popularity after forming their coalition. I wonder what will become of the new party people from the protest movement wanted to form according to rumors. If the transitional government fails to take decisive steps (and fail it will, considering that they don't even have a parliamentary majority without the neoliberals), voters will turn away from the coalition parties and vote for any new political force that shows up - hopefully a socialist force.

You have no idea what you are talking about, and I mean that with the least possible offense. The Social Democrats entered government in 2007 and by my count it hasn't been quite "at least ten years" since then.

The fact is Iceland has a prime minister who is as close to a communist as you're going to get in a modern western democracy, and we're still having a *****y fight over it on revleft.

The gay thing has absolutely nothing to do with anything apart from being a boon for that particular cause. Good for them, but it's hardly an issue for anyone who actually lives here. We are mostly in love with all them gay folks anyway, didn't need a prime minister to get a quarter of the population to attend gay pride.