Progressive

The new PM of Iceland is openly gay. This is the first top national political figure in the world that is gay.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland – The woman expected to become Iceland's interim prime minister is an openly gay former flight attendant who rose through the political ranks to lead a new leftist government.

Johanna Sigurdardottir, the island nation's 66-year-old social affairs minister, began as an union organizer for flight attendants and is now among the country's longest-serving lawmakers.

Both political parties forming Iceland's new coalition government support her appointment — and a decision could be announced as early as Thursday.

"She is a senior parliamentarian, she is respected and loved by all of Iceland," said Environment Minister Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir.

Iceland's previous conservative-led government failed Monday after the country's banks collapsed in the fall under the weight of huge debts amassed during years of rapid economic growth. The country's currency has since plummeted, and inflation and unemployment are soaring.

Sigurdardottir will lead until new elections are held, likely in May. She will remain in office longer only if her center-left Social Democratic Alliance Party becomes the largest party in the election — an unlikely prospect, since it trails the Left-Green movement in opinion polls.

How funny is that? The Conservative government imploded the Iceland economy.. and now, the only two political parties with any support of the population are both Liberal.

A black Liberal President.. and a gay PM.. I'm just in awe of all this progress. It's just unfortunate that Conservatives had to be completely in charge for nearly a decade, fucking everything up, to usher in this new era.

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David Schuster just said on my teevee that Sarah Palin is gearing up for a 2012 run at the Presidency.

Please.. Gorak.. make it so.. please please please