Openly gay Liberal MP Scott Brison knows that with power comes responsibility. As a gay politician, he says he has the opportunity to help queer teens know that they can be happy and successful.
Brison's remarks follow Rick Mercer’s call for public figures to come out of the closet in light of the tragic suicide of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley.
Hubley was bullied for being the only openly gay student at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School. He died of suicide on Oct. 14.
Brison says it was only in retrospect that he understood the importance of having a gay role model. “Looking back at my teen years, it would have been remarkably helpful for me during that time,” he says.
When he entered the race for the Progressive Conservative leadership in 2002, Brison said that his sexuality was an open secret. But when other members of the party started to spread rumours, Brison said that he “got tired of the bullshit” and decided to come out publicly.
In 2003, shortly after the creation of the new Conservative Party, Brison crossed over to the Liberal Party. Since coming out, Brison says he's received an outpouring of support—both from fellow members of the Liberal Party, and from gay teens and their parents who appreciate his openness.
Brison was Canada’s first openly gay seated cabinet minister in 2004. He says he doesn't judge gay politicians who choose not to come out, calling that a personal decision. But he doesn't understand why a gay politician would not come out.
“I think [closeted politicians] are missing a brilliant opportunity to not only lead a more fulfilling life, but also to help a lot of people,” Brison says. “I mean to me, the principle motivation of being in public life is to help people. One of the simplest and yet most important ways to do that as a politician who’s gay is to actually come out.”
Brison says that not only does he think that coming out of the closet can help teens, but that staying in it can hurt them. “When relatively powerful people in public life aren’t comfortable with coming out, that sends a mixed message to teens who are struggling to accept who they are,” he says.
Almost a decade after coming out, Brison is happy and grateful to be an openly gay politician. “I’ve been very lucky in my life to have the freedom to do what I want today, which is to serve the public and be honest and open about who I am," he says. "That luxury and freedom has not been around for very long.”
