Blazing a trail for lesbians: Bonnie Bleskachek says being an out lesbian firetighter matters much less when you reach the rank of chief
Bonnie Bleskachek likes to say the "universe has taken care of me all these years. "Indeed, in January the 15-year veteran of Minneapolis's fire department became the city's first female fire chief, and she is believed to be the only out lesbian fire chief of a major U.S. city.
Bleskachek, 41, a mother of two children, ages 6 and 10, and partner to another lesbian firefighter, is a member of Women in the Fire Service and helped found the Minnesota Women Firefighters Association. She has been involved in such efforts as helping establish a family leave policy and helping start a program to train and mentor female firefighter candidates. She now oversees 450 employees and manages a budget of $43 million. She spoke to The Advocate about being a lesbian in a traditionally male-dominated profession.
How long did it take you to make chief?
I've worked for the fire department since August of 1989. In the fire service you have to do so many years of each rank before you're eligible to take the promotional test to move up a rank. I spent six years as a firefighter before I was eligible for my first captain's test. I made captain and did that for five years. I then took a battalion chief's test and became that in 2001.
Had becoming chief always been a goal?