November 21, 1988 - Svend Robinson - a podcast by Stephen Hammond

Canada’s first openly gay MP, Svend Robinson, re-elected in B.C. Svend Robinson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 4, 1952, but grew up in Burnaby, B.C. before studying science and law at the University of British Columbia. A long-time social democrat concerned about human rights and social issues, Robinson joined the New Democratic Party in 1966. In 1979, at the age of 27, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Burnaby, a city bordering Vancouver. The strong constituency MP never shied away from controversial issues related to human rights and dignity, so it surprised few in 1988 when Robinson became the first Canadian MP to publicly announce he was gay. Uncertain how his constituents would receive this news, Robinson feared losing the next election, but he needn’t have worried. Not only was he re-elected on November 21, 1988, but proceeded to get the nod seven times from Burnaby constituents pleased with how he was representing them in Ottawa. Robinson continued his push for social justice matters, often speaking personally about the issues affecting gay and lesbian Canadians. His popularity suffered a setback when, on April 15, 2004, he admitted to stealing an expensive ring during a time of stress, and announced that he was taking medical leave from his duties as an MP. He chose to not seek re-election in the 2004 federal election but tried to make a political comeback by running in the riding of Vancouver Centre. Robinson was easily defeated by long-time Liberal MP Hedy Fry.

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