Firsts matter to us. The first time each of us discovered who we were, the first time we realised we were not the only ones, our first crush, date and kiss. The firsts of our lives change and shape us. Society firsts matter to us too, and that is certainly the case with the world of politics.
When David Norris became the first out gay political representative to be elected, it was an important moment in this country. It opened a whole new world of what was possible for a generation of LGBT+ people. He was followed, many years later, by out candidates John Lyons, Dominic Hannigan and Katherine Zappone, while Jerry Buttimer became the first in situ TD to come out. They proved that there was a place for us in the world of politics. That we could stand proudly and be elected to our parliament, to play our role in the community we loved. But perhaps none grabbed our attention, and the attention of the world, more than Leo Varadkar.
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