Not bad for a 1000-year-old lesbian ...
Posted on 01/29/2009 6:52:46 PM PST by markomalley
The world's first openly gay leader is poised to take power in Iceland with the appointment of a lesbian former flight attendant as Prime Minister following the mass-resignation of the country's government.
Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, is to become interim leader until new elections are held in May following the fall of the administration of Geir Haarde amid huge public protests about the country's economic crisis.
The country's social affairs minister, Ms Sigurdardottir has been installed as head of an interim centre-left coalition featuring her Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green movement.
"Now we need a strong government that works with the people," she told reporters, adding that her new administration was likely to be sworn in on Saturday.
Doubts remain, however, as to whether Ms Sigurdardottir can retain power after May's elections as her Alliance party trails the Left-Green movement in the polls.
However, her appointment marks a historic milestone for the gay and lesbian community worldwide. She lives with a journalist, Jonina Leosdottir, with whom she was joined in a 2002 civil partnership, and has two sons from a previous marriage.
It is also a significant personal triumph for a politician who managed to retain, and even increase, her popularity while much of Iceland's political class were pilloried over the financial crisis engulfing the country.
While Mr Haarde endured angry protests for months and had his limousine pelted with eggs, polling companies said Ms Sigurdardottir's approval rating sat at 73 per cent in November, and she was the only minister to see her popularity improve on the previous year’s score.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
What will be interesting to see/read is if (and what kind of) she tries to implement some variety of agenda. For example, if the gays from this country try to invade Iceland (on pilgrimage or the like).
I say that because Iceland is very "unique." They have done a whole lot, at least as of the '80s, to keep their culture very, very insulated from the rest of the world. Not in an Iranian style of repression, but they didn't want to become swallowed up by American culture (from Keflavik or Rejkavik) and, to my knowledge, from European culture either.
ok,.... um
Inaugural address:
“We haven’t got a colllective pot to pi** in but if and when we do my butchy woman and I will be the first to squat over it.”
Didn't work. Half of them are going to have to move out to somewhere else.
This has happened several times before.
Great, I guess she's the Scandinavian Idol candidate, much likek we had an American Idol candidate last year...
As I understand it, there’s not much for this country to do but go back to fishing. The banking bubble has been completely deflated.
Beyond fishing and sheep they have their volcanos to keep them warm.
Alas, fishing alone can't keep them at middle class income levels. This leaves them few choices ~ maybe institute surfdom again, or convince a lot of them to emigrate to America or Canada. They once lost over 40% of their population over just one eonomic collapse.
For being sixty-six she looks very good. I’ve seen women many years younger and much more wrinkled. Of course, along with dying her hair she could also have had some cosmetic work on her face. But it doesn’t look like it, too natural of an appearance.
A few years ago I had looked into investing in Icelandic CD’s - they were paying over 13% interest just to park your money in their banks. Glad I took a pass.
As I read this, the Social Democratic Lesbian Alliance trails the Left Green movement somewhat. I am not seeing any conservative hope here. There is no Rushlimbaughsdottir in the running.
This must be quite a relief for all those guys who tried to hit on her forty-five years ago in college, they thought she was ‘frigid’!
One s**tty government after another. Hopefully at least Gordon Brown is a dead man walking while Harper will stay on.
I understand that the people of Iceland speak a language that has been virtually the same for over 1000 years. A pure Nordic language.
One aspect of this cultural difference is this lady’s name. We are familiar with names like Petersen and Jackson (son of Peter and son of Jack) but her name means “daughter of Sigurdar”. I don’t know of any other places in the world where “daughter” is tagged onto the end of a name.
I was working out in the gym the other day, and Fox News was talking about how the credit crisis had affected the whole world, even Iceland. They went on and on about Iceland. Now I know why.
not guilty...
That’s not hair dye. That’s the color of a true Icelander’s hair.
Dumb question...but why is her sexual orientation of note? Wouldn’t her politifcal positions by of more import than her amorous ones?
YOU HOMOPHOBE!!!
/sarcasm off
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