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Politics | 01/28/2009 10:05 am

Iceland Set to Pick Lesbian Prime Minister

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Image via Gunnar Waage

Johanna Sigurdardottir may make history this week.

Iceland’s Parliament is expected to appoint Sigurdardottir as their nation’s interim prime minister, a move that would make her the world’s first openly gay person to hold such a position. Iceland’s former prime minister, Geir Haarde, resigned on Monday amid a failing government and growing economic woes. Those woes would be Sigurdardottir’s main priority — Iceland’s economy failed earlier this year and politicians are scraping by as they consider long-term solutions. Sigurdardottir’s party peer, Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir, celebrated her possible appointment, and thinks the rest of the nation will agree: "She is a senior parliamentarian, she is respected and loved by all of Iceland." Former Prime Minister Haarde disagrees, "Johanna is a very good woman — but she likes public spending, she is a tax raiser."

A former flight attendant, Sigurdardottir got her political start as a labor organizer and first ran for Parliament in 1972, an election she won. The 66-year-old has been Iceland’s social-affairs minister since 1999. She lives with her civil partner, journalist Jonina Leosdottir, and has two sons. Those kids, from a previous marriage to a man, will no doubt be proud to see their mother in the Parliament’s prime seat.

69 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

f p
Exactly. Sweet Baby Huey when are we or are we ever going to get over this “sexual identity defines a person” phase in this country.
By f p on 01/28/2009 10:47 am
John G
My thought exactly (except for the typo ☺). A person’s sexual preference qualifier doesn’t belong anywhere except in classified ads…
By John G on 01/28/2009 11:03 am
DeBúrca obj
Are you making fun of my typo all the while agreeing with me?…. hmmm, I don’t know how to take that…..
By DeBúrca obj on 01/28/2009 12:33 pm
Roger from Ohio
Hello DeBurca Im posting this for advice, this seems to be an out of date thread so this post should be “under the radar” …… I got a post like this a while ago with some kind words. I really enjoy reading your posts…….. when I see your avatar, I expect a good post and biting honest responses….. you are one of my favorites….. Now that the sucking up is out of the way….lol…… what can I do to make these personal attacks against me stop? I know I was probably out of line when I first started posting here…… but I truly dont think I started trouble….. just defended myself poorly. It seems like the 3 posters has it out for me, and I cant shake them….. I tried ignoring them…. I tried calling them on their comments….. I even tried shaming them…. the responses I get is my parents hate me….. I hate women….. Im anti-American…… just insanity You have made a couple of posts that you dont like how things are going in here, when I read them, I thought that maybe I should leave here and it all might settle down………. Im not here to cause trouble……… but I also didnt come here to be abused……… I got a “scolding” from Frannie Em…… she told me in here post how I was being viewed here…….. I took it to heart and tried to change my attitude……. those 3 actually mocked me for trying to improve. I just dont know what to do about all of this, and you seem to be a voice of reason and I respect the things that you say…… so Im turning to you for advice……… SURPRISE!!
By Roger from Ohio on 01/31/2009 1:08 pm
Diamond In The Rough
Roger says: It seems like the 3 posters has it out for me, Response:……..You brought it upon yourself……….live with it!
By Diamond In The Rough on 01/31/2009 2:43 pm
deber B
Diamond, I’m not surprised he posted to DeB. He thinks he has called in the wow’s “big gun.” His post to her is both sad and revealing. He needs constant approval from women so I guess that is why he hangs out on women’s blogs. Sad. Very sad. I am appealing to you not to respond to any of his posts. It serves no good purpose. I have moved on….and I hope you will, too.
By deber B on 01/31/2009 6:45 pm
Libra Lady
OMG…deber and diamond….did he just go whining to burca about what she can do to help get us kicked off???? This is so sad of him…he must think he is still on the view post and accidently posted on the wrong website….I think he needs to go talk with his mommy and see if she can teach him how to be a respectable man…if it’s not too late…I’m just sayin’ I agree deber…it’s time to move away from him and ignore him….I have better comments to make here than to waste anymore of my time with this nutcase!!!
By Libra Lady on 02/01/2009 1:00 pm
Roger from Ohio
Imagine that….. All 3 of that crew found the 3 day dead obscure post that I sent to you………. All 3 said they wont respond to me again…… if only that were true….. I dont blame u for not responding….. it isnt worth it in the end…… in time they will understand their irrelevance…. Thanks anyway DeBurca
By Roger from Ohio on 02/01/2009 3:17 pm
f p
After the current, former idiots that have run that nation into the ground fiscally, let’s just hope she does a lot better job. And STOP THE WHALING PLEASE.
By f p on 01/28/2009 10:46 am
Paulette Clauss
I only wish all women could look that HOT at 66 years young. LOL
By Paulette Clauss on 01/28/2009 10:52 am
DeBúrca obj
And might I add a Lesbian Prime Minister with very nice hair.
By DeBúrca obj on 01/28/2009 11:13 am
Brooklyn Gal
The real story is that the Conservative Party failed miserably and now want to label her as tax and spend with implies they are already working against her than with her for the sake of their country. Congrats and best of luck.
By Brooklyn Gal on 01/28/2009 11:29 am
DeBúrca obj
Sounds like some conservatives in this country who would rather stick to their rhetoric than put country first. Rush Limbaugh comes to mind. Check this out by Clarence Page in the Chicago Tribune: “Obama vs. Limbaugh, audacity vs. ideology” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0128pagejan28,0,36…
By DeBúrca obj on 01/28/2009 12:11 pm
beverly linens
DB Thank you for the link. It is a good article. Bev.
By beverly linens on 01/28/2009 12:56 pm
mc daniels
She is a senior parliamentarian, she is respected and loved by all of Iceland.” Former Prime Minister Haarde disagrees, “Johanna is a very good woman — but she likes public spending, she is a tax raiser.” This is the part I picked up on …………… and specifically, “Johanna is a very good woman — but she likes public spending, she is a tax raiser.” Simply because one doesn’t think someone IS THE CORRECT CHOICE (for an elected office) by virtue of ideology it doesn’t necessarily follow that it is a reflection of personal “bias”……………Good for former Prime Minister Haarde, good for Iceland!
By mc daniels on 01/28/2009 12:21 pm