Politics in the Gaybourhood

I live downtown Toronto, near the Church & Wellesley Village, also known as the "gaybourhood."

Every now and then, political candidates knock on my door to introduce themselves. Last night, we had a visit from Ken Chan, a candidate running for city councillor in the upcoming municipal election on October 25. I read his campaign flyer, as I usually do.

One of the points mentioned is that he is openly gay. It's no surprise, given that the gaybourhood is part of this district. In fact, many of our government representatives - including former MPP and current mayoral candidate George Smitherman, current MPP Glen Murray, and current city councillor Kyle Rae - are openly gay. And it's always pointed out in their campaign literature.

Hey, they represent their voters. That's great. If you're a cynic, you might find it a bit blatant.

But I also find it interesting - refreshing, in a way - to see it so heavily advertised as an asset, in light of things happening elsewhere in the world like Proposition 8. It's almost like it's a requirement for the job.

I'd love to live in a world where it doesn't matter at all. But for now, I'll settle for a world where it can be considered an asset, and not a shame.

I love my city.