Just found out that the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Joop Wijn, is openly gay. That’s a first here, and more surprising since he’s from the Christian Democratic Party (CDA). He’s young, has had an impressive career as an investment banker, liberal-minded and…well, good-looking too! Some even see him as the successor of the current prime minister.
“This is a stimulus for other homosexual and lesbian women in high positions to be open about their orientation. […] The number of openly homosexual lawmakers and deputies is still low, and countrywide until now there have only been a few secretaries of state who are openly homosexual. The appointment of Joop Wijn as minister breaks through that and with that it [sets an example for] homosexual men and lesbian women that it is possible to have a normal political career in public office.”
Frank van Dalen, chairman of gay-interest group COC
When parliament was discussing the legalisation of homosexual marriage in 2000, Joop was one of the few in his Christian Democratic Party to argue for it. A party elder said of him: “Joop may be homosexual, he is however a family man.” (VN, 29-07-2006)
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