Politics’ pink plateau

Right-leaning politicians aren’t usually found waxing lyrical about how gay-friendly their party is.

But then right-leaning politicians aren’t usually found to be gay -“ not openly anyway.

Britain’s opposition trade secretary, Alan Duncan, has broken the mould.

In a recent article for the Independent newspaper he praised his own Conservative Party.

While he admits that the party once had an ingrained attitude [that] was pretty poisonous stuff, now, he says, The party is totally at ease with gay people.

Globally Duncan is one of many out politicians including the mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, and his Parisian counterpart.

Meanwhile in the Canadian province of Quebec, Andre Boisclair until very recently headed the popular Parti Quebecois.

So, if the world is marching to the pink political drumbeat, is Australia out of step?

The Labor Party has openly gay members in almost every state and federal arena, Penny Sharpe, the first openly lesbian New South Wales upper house member, told the Star.

But the same can’t be said for her opponents, Sharpe says. The Liberals are a long way from being supportive of openly gay MPs -“ vis ?is the fact there are none I can identify.

In both parties does a pink plateau exist, a point in the hierarchy that out politicians cannot pass?

I think we’re moving forward, Sharpe says. The numbers are low at this point [but] we’re going in the right direction.

But not fast enough for former Democrats Senator Brian Greig (pictured), who says he left Labor after banging his head against a brick wall attempting to instigate GLBT reforms.

Although Greig says he never experienced any overt homophobia from political colleagues, there was plenty that was covert, including that he wasn’t required to list any potential conflicts of interest his partner might have had with his role -“ a requirement for any straight partner.

I moved an amendment to recognise same-sex couples -“ it made the major parties seriously squirm, Greig says. They did not want to acknowledge in any way, shape or form same-sex partners.

Can he see a day when a gay politician can call the Liberal Party home?

Not in the short term. There are a number of gay MPs currently in the coalition but they’re all closeted and some even go as far as getting married.

There are some openly gay Liberals, however.

Dr Ingrid Tall, an out lesbian, stood in the seat of Brisbane.

Family First then publicly refused to hand second preference votes to Tall because of her sexuality.

Speaking after her defeat in the marginal seat, Tall told the Brisbane Courier Mail, My private life became an issue which I believe directly impacted on the election result.

Many Liberals said that was proof that the coalition should never put a gay or lesbian person up for seats because they won’t win, Greig says.

Rising star of the Liberal right, Alex Hawke, made his thoughts perfectly clear when he said, Nobody joins the Liberal Party to be left wing. If you stand for lowering the [homosexual] age of consent you can choose the Greens, Labor or the Democrats.

Bruce Notley-Smith, an openly gay Liberal councillor for Randwick, doesn’t see the party in the same light: I’ve never felt any discrimination with the party.

Notley-Smith continues, There’s going to be people that are homophobic within the Liberal Party as there are in the Labor Party. Are they in the majority? Definitely not.

Where parties have been successful in getting out people into parliament is in the senate, Greig continues.

The major parties are too nervous putting out people into lower house seats because they still don’t believe gay people can win the support of electorates on the ground.

However, in the lower house things are slowly changing with the state member for Perth, Labor’s John Hyde, never having hidden his homosexuality from voters.

But the pink plateau may exist nonetheless.

The former leader of Parti Quebecois never made it to be premier of Quebec, with some whispering his sexuality played a role in his downfall.

Klaus Wowereit’s ambitions to have more of a role in German politics have been stymied.

Meanwhile, Alan Duncan may hold a powerful portfolio -“ but he isn’t actually in power.

It may be quite some time before two gentlemen sharing could inhabit Kirribilli House.