The Gay Man in Margaret Thatcher’s Government

Nicholas Eden, 2nd Earl of Avon, was born on 3 October 1930 and died on 17 August 1985, from Aids. He was a British Conservative politician and was the younger son of former Prime Minister Anthony Eden and his first wife, Beatrice. He was educated at Eton. He succeeded in the earldom on the death of his father in 1977. His older brother was killed on active service in Burma.

Nicholas Eden served under Margaret Thatcher as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1980 to 1983, as Under-Secretary of State for Energy from 1983 to 1984 and as Under-Secretary of State for the Environment from 1984 until shortly before his death in 1985. Lord Avon was unmarried and his titles died with him. He was openly gay.

UK’s First Openly Lesbian MP Maureen Colquhoun Has Died

Maureen Colquhoun passed away on February 2 at the age of 92. She was a member of the Labor Party, the first openly lesbian MP and a radical feminist far ahead of her time.

Calquhoun was born on August 12, 1928 in London, England.  She graduated from the London School of Economics.  She entered politics in the British Labor Party. She was a delegate to the UK Parliament from 1974 to 1979.  First woman politician to enter parliament as a lesbian .

Colquhoun dies on January 2, 2021 at the age of 92 in London, England, birthplace.

Lesbian Victories in US Politics

Christine Quinn, an open and married lesbian is running for Major of New York City. If she wins, it will be the first time in twenty years since a Democrat takes the position. Michael Bloomberg has been in office for twelve years.

In the mayorial race is Anthony Weiner, who became infamous when he emailed pictures of his crotch to a number of women. Weiner is married to a former Hilary Clinton’s aide,Huma Abedin who has stood by him.

So, is there a penis versus a vagina race between these two? (just joking).

As LGBTI people, it is heart-warming to read of our brothers and sisters who have made a difference in politics. Harvey Milk paid with his life in San Francisco in 1978 when he fought against a proposal to fire all gay school teachers in California.

To the present, we congratulate gay Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell involved in marriage equality in the New York State Legislature

For the record,

– no openly LGBT governor or United States president has ever been elected to office

– no openly LGBT person has been named or served as a federal Cabinet member

But, we’re discussing lesbian victories in USA politics, so let’s celebrate

– Federal judge: Deborah Batts, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York – appointed 1994

– U.S. Senate (first openly LGBT person, out when first elected): Tammy Baldwin – elected 2012, lesbian, representing Wisconsin

Lesbian Mayors

Massachusettes: Gina Genovese, elected Mayor, 2005 – Neptune Township

Texas :Mayor: Annise Parker, elected Mayor of Houston 2009

So let’s spread this information world-wide to aspiring lesbians politicians and lawyers.

paula, 2014, stories4hotbloodedlesbians.com

Greece’s First Openly Gay Minister

Nicholas Yatromanolakis has made history by becoming Greece’s first openly gay minister in a cabinet reshuffle in the center-right government.

Nicholas Yatromanolakis, 44, has been promoted from the position of general secretary at the ministry to become the new minister of culture.

Alexis Patelis, the Greek Prime Minister’s chief economic advisor said in a tweet that, it was a “historic day for LGBTI+ representation, a big win for meritocracy and better decision-making through diversity”.

“Congrats to Nicholas Yatromanolakis for showing you can be yourself and still succeed,” he added. “May others draw strength to live their life openly.”

Nicholas Yatromanolakis’ Political Life

Before entering politics in 2014 as a founding member of the now-defunct centrist party Potami, Yatromanolakis worked in marketing and communications for companies including Microsoft and has a masters in public policy from Harvard.

“For a long time … I felt I had to choose and that there were identities that could never be compatible with one another,” said Yatromanolakis, who left To Potami in 2016 and joined the government in 2019.

He rejected the suggestion that his appointment to the culture ministry might be viewed as tokenism.

“People do not understand and see that the (cultural) sector… creates jobs, creates opportunities,” said Yatromanolakis, who used to work for a cultural center housing the country’s national opera and library.

He said his priorities in the job included channeling state financial aid to people working in the arts during the pandemic.

Asked what measures the government could take to support LGBTI+ people, Yatromanolakis said he wanted better implementation of existing anti-discrimination laws, including training in private companies and government bodies.

“No person growing up should feel they have to choose between who they are and what they want to become in life,” he said.

“I wish someone else was first before me … (but) if this helps people who have problems because of who they are … then it’s worth it.”