Winnipeg Elects Gay Mayor First Openly Gay Mayor of a Large City Anywhere

By Rex Wockner International News Report Openly gay City Councillor Glen Murray, 41, was elected mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, October 28. He received 50.5 percent of the vote. His nearest opponent, grocer Peter Kaufmann, got 45 percent. Glenn Murray Murray's sexuality did not become a campaign issue although fundamentalist preachers and talk-radio hosts railed against it. Considered to be politically center-left, Murray may be the first openly gay mayor of a large city anywhere in the world. Winnipeg, the provincial capital, has 677,000 residents. "It was a history-making night," Murray said as the results became final. "We're a city of such diversity, of so many cultures; we're a city of great tolerance, of hope, and I just think all of those values were reaffirmed tonight."

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