# How come no one told me about the likely election of our first openly gay Senator? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 24, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687 "2012-10-24T01:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/1 "2012-10-24T01:52:36Z")
I’m surprised Tammy Baldwin’s candidacy isn’t getting more attention as (1) she is a lesbian and (2) she tried to impeach Cheney (and not on some piddly technicality, either, but basically for being Cheney). And she’s winning (by a hair) against Tommy Thompson (who seems really old lately). This is…sort of a big deal. But also, sorta neat that it’s not a big deal. Did I miss all the coverage of that race? ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/2 "2012-10-24T02:04:31Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I’m surprised Tammy Baldwin’s candidacy isn’t getting more attention as (1) she is a lesbian and (2) she tried to impeach Cheney (and not on some piddly technicality, either, but basically for being Cheney). > > And she’s winning (by a hair) against Tommy Thompson (who seems really old lately). > > **This is…sort of a big deal. But also, sorta neat that it’s not a big deal.** > > Did I miss all the coverage of that race? 1. It’s groovy to see 2. In comparison to the rest of the world, its a case of BFD 3. Check out the [Wiki page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_first_LGBT_holders_of_political_offices)on LGBT politicians round the world 4. Belgium has had an openly gay PM :)😃 As a proud New Zealander, I feel compelled to post our own record - something that is quite liberal. > [@](#): > > Member of Parliament: Female: Marilyn Waring (National) 1975–1984 (outed during office) > Female: Maryan Street (Labour) 2005–Present (outed before office) > Male: Chris Carter (Labour) 1993–2011 > Transsexual: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1999–2007 (world’s first) > > Cabinet Minister: Male: Minister of Conservation, Minister of Ethnic Affairs, Minister of Local Government, Minister for Building Issues, Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office: Chris Carter (Labour) 2002-8 > Female: Minister of Housing and Minister of ACC: Maryan Street (Labour) 2007-8 > > Transsexual mayor: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1995–1999 (world’s first) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/3 "2012-10-24T02:07:06Z")
And now I’m off to wikipedia to learn the saga of Marilyn Waring. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/4 "2012-10-24T02:20:14Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > And now I’m off to wikipedia to learn the saga of Marilyn Waring. I was born in 1974, so the drama is a bit before my time - but this > [@](#): > > Waring precipitated the New Zealand general election, 1984 by threatening to vote for the opposition-sponsored nuclear-free New Zealand legislation, leading Prime Minister Robert Muldoon to call a snap election, stating that Waring’s “feminist anti-nuclear stance” threatened his ability to govern.[1] The nuclear-free New Zealand legislation was subsequently enacted by the new Labour government, and has been a sacrosanct touchstone of New Zealand foreign policy since. Is why she is still so famous in New Zealand, and why her name is so familiar to me (I didn’t connect her to LGBT but knew she was “famous” for something) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/5 "2012-10-24T02:23:08Z")
Oh sorry. As one of the resident gay dopers, I should have messaged you about it months ago. I’m just so behind in my “get out the word about every gay politician running for office” efforts! Apologies 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/6 "2012-10-24T02:27:36Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I’m just so behind in my “get out the word about every gay politician running for office” efforts! C’mon, this is historic! The home of Scott Walker appears to be prepared to elect an openly gay woman to the Senate (or not, but if not, it will seemingly have little to do with her orientation). Aren’t you surprised there isn’t more discussion about it? We’ve only had four openly gay Congresspeople (including Baldwin herself), as AFAIK they’ve all been in extremely liberal districts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/7 "2012-10-24T02:31:06Z")
It’s being covered as a close race, but not much attention is being paid to that milestone. [This story is an exception.](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/10/tammy_baldwin_may_be_the_first_openly_gay_u_s_senator_and_no_one_considers.html) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/8 "2012-10-24T02:35:24Z")
Interesting bit from that article: > [@](#): > > Democrats, generally, were happy to answer the question but wondered why it was being asked. Republicans simply didn’t know why it might matter. “The person she’s hoping to replace is also of the same persuasion,” says Joyce Smith, a Thompson voter and volunteer in Racine. “I don’t think that matters.” Although it has often been rumored, Sen. Kohl has never claimed to be gay. I guess I’m always amazed at how we can go from #1 divisive issue in America to old news in less than a decade. It’s good for us, as a country, but it still surprises me. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/9 "2012-10-24T02:36:10Z")
I agree that it’s cool, sure… but there’s the old saying about how everyone just assumes a female politician is a lesbian until proved otherwise. I think it’d be a little more newsworthy if it were a gay male senator, because society tends to be less accepting of gay men than gay women (but only slightly). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/10 "2012-10-24T02:41:01Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I guess I’m always amazed at how we can go from #1 divisive issue in America to old news in less than a decade. It’s good for us, as a country, but it still surprises me. Arguably too fast: it’s worth remembering how many people opposed this stuff a few years ago, and what they said. But the progress is remarkable anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/11 "2012-10-24T11:53:30Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Oh sorry. As one of the resident gay dopers, I should have messaged you about it months ago. I’m just so behind in my “get out the word about every gay politician running for office” efforts! > > Apologies 😃 You are NEVER going to earn that toaster that way, buddy. There’s an agenda to advance, here. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/12 "2012-10-24T15:47:04Z")
I unfortunately can’t feel it’s likely at this point. It’s still 50/50 as far as I can tell. My ballot is finally going in the mail tonight, and I’ll be voting for her. On the one hand, it will be great if she is the first openly gay senator. On the other, the fact that it’s barely mentioned ought to be seen as progress. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/13 "2012-10-24T15:49:58Z")
It’s not 50/50, it’s 46.8/46. 🙂 Just enough to make one possibility more likely than the other. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/14 "2012-10-24T15:56:16Z")
Nobody told me either, **Richard Parker**. I’ve been counting on \*you \*to keep me up on this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/15 "2012-10-24T16:10:42Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > **. . . our first openly gay Senator?** Lesbians don’t count, not for glass-ceiling purposes, you know that. All career women are suspected of lesbianism anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/16 "2012-10-24T16:16:02Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > 1. In comparison to the rest of the world, its a case of BFD Well, the **election** is pretty important . . . not because Baldwin is a lesbian but because she’s a Democrat, and it’s an open Senate seat (now belonging to a Democrat, Herb Kohl, who is stepping down), and partisan control of the Senate is razor-close. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/17 "2012-11-08T11:00:10Z")
I hope you’re happy that she can now pursue her radical lesbian agenda to destroy marriage. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/18 "2012-11-08T11:10:39Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > I hope you’re happy that she can now pursue her radical lesbian agenda to destroy marriage. She’s a Senator who works from an office, not a James Bond Super-Villain with a Secret Lair inside an extinct volcano. Just so you know. You seem confused. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-no-one-told-me-about-the-likely-election-of-our-first-openly-gay-senator/638687/19 "2012-11-09T19:28:30Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > I hope you’re happy that she can now pursue her radical lesbian agenda to destroy marriage. Man, Poe’s Law has really been kicking my ass this election cycle.