WYNNE WINS LIBERAL LEADERSHIP - BUT WILL ONTARIO VOTE FOR A LESBIAN PREMIER?

Kathleen Wynne (pictured here at her campaign launch) won the Ontario Liberal leadership convention to become Canada's first-ever lesbian premier (Photo courtesy the Kathleen Wynne Campaign's Flickr page)

At the Liberal leadership convention, Wynne pointed out that she does not believe her lesbian sexual orientation will cost her votes in the nextOntario provincial election.

Wynne, who is married to Jane Rounthwaite, continued, “When I ran in 2003, I was told that the people of North Toronto and Thorncliffe Park weren't ready to elect a gay woman. Well, apparently they were. You know, there was a time, not that long ago, when most of us in this race would have been deemed unsuitable. A Portugese-Canadian, an Indo-Canadian, Italian-Canadian, female, gay, Catholic. Most of us could not have hoped to stand on this stage, but this province has changed. Our party has changed.

“I don't believe the people of Ontario judge their leaders on the basis of race, colour or sexual orientation – I don't believe they hold that prejudice in their hearts.

“They judge us on our merits – on our abilities, on our expertise, on our ideas – because that is how everyone deserves to be judged. That is how we want our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews to be judged.

“So, when it is time for me to take us into the next general election, I will do it on the basis of our merits, based on our success.”