Written by Darragh Roche   

When Ireland’s health minister Leo Varadkar announced on live radio that he’s gay, the national reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Social media were clogged with supportive comments and hash tags. But there was little sense that this was a watershed moment. No middle class voters spat out their coffee in surprise; no rightwing commentator took to the air to issue a bigoted appraisal of the news. The national feeling was muted. In typical Irish fashion, people shrugged their shoulders and said “It’s grand”. International observers could be forgiven for thinking Irish people just don’t care. In fact, this was an encouraging sign of maturity. If a prominent US Republican had come out, the reaction would have been far more animated.
International media, particularly in Irish-America, were quick to announce that a possible future prime minister was openly gay. Varadkar may indeed become Taoiseach (prime minister), though probably not before his party spends a spell out of power. If Varadkar rises to the highest office in the land, albeit five or ten years from now, the world’s newspapers will scream his sexuality from their headlines. The effect will be much greater than when Iceland elected a lesbian prime minister, for several reasons. The influence of Irish-Americans in the United States is significant and news sites like Irish Central constantly look to events in the home country to flesh out their stories and exercise their audience. As an English-speaking country, Ireland is in a privileged position. Irish experiences are shared, un-translated and undiluted, across the world’s most powerful and influential countries.
As a first world economy that has pulled itself back from the brink of economic chaos, Ireland is very much in the mainstream. A well-educated, mobile and politically active population is perfectly placed to explain and promote a tolerant society where an openly gay national leader is unremarkable. Moreover, Ireland is a prime example of a conservative, closeted and Christian society rapidly developing into a socially liberal, inclusive democracy. The Irish public is already more tolerant than several American states. There is no acrimonious debate about gay marriage in Irish courts or political circles; all Irish political parties support its legalisation. A referendum later this year is expected to approve equal marriage by an overwhelming margin. Ireland can’t claim to lead the world on gay rights, but it can be a poster child for transforming a formerly repressive society. Few countries were keener on legislating for morality than the Irish state. The turnaround is therefore remarkable and could easily be the envy of liberals in places like Kansas or Alabama.
An underreported fact is that Varadkar belongs to the traditional, centre-right party in Irish politics. Fine Gael favours business, large farmers and individual responsibility in much the same way as conservative parties in most democracies. The government of which Varadkar is a member has introduced severe cuts in public services, workfare programmes and reform to public utilities widely viewed as regressive. Both the far left and the mainstream opposition have cried blue murder about neo-liberal policies that favour banks and foreign businesses. There is even concern that the newly created water utility will be privatised sometime in the future. So Leo Varadkar doesn’t belong to some wishy-washy, homosexual-loving socialist party. He is very much on the right of the Irish political spectrum. Even those who viscerally disagree with his policy positions will understand how his political affiliation helps to normalise gay politicians. If a small-government, pro-business party can be led by an openly gay man, the doors have truly been flung open to the LGBT community.
As Ireland emerges from years of recession and austerity, it will once again find itself at the centre of European affairs. European politicians, economists and the IMF have heaped praise on the Irish handling of the financial crisis. By the time Varadkar enters the prime minister’s office, the European Union will be back on track and the Irish economy will once again be the envy of dozens of developing countries. A gay man leading a successful nation sends a powerful message to those in the west who still have deep reservations about LGBT people and also to countries where gay lives are under threat. Giving hope to LGBT communities in countries like Uganda and Iran means showing them successful societies where gay people are full citizens. Ireland can be a beacon for transforming attitudes. A gay prime minister would go a long way to sending the right message to those who oppose equal citizenship and equal participation for gay people. Ireland’s first LGBT prime minister might be Leo Varadkar, but it doesn’t have to be. His coming out will make it more likely that he won’t be the first gay prime minister, and that’s a good thing.