So John Baird Was Outed. Does Anyone Really Care?

So John Baird was outed yesterday. I mean was there really anyone who didn't know he was gay?

I don't know why he feels he needs to hide it.

Yes the rest of his party are raging homophobes, but few of them like him anyway. That has nothing to do with his sexuality, though. It's because he's a jackass.

Mind you, I think the biggest problem for the party is the religious right. Much of their fundraising is done denouncing homosexuality as a sin. If a high profile cabinet minister comes out of the closet, will they be able to publicly endorse the party in the same way they have been?

I would have thought the Reformers would have used this to gain some credibility, but the message now is that it's just the same old, same old.

In a live interview that aired Feb 2 on Metro Morning, a Toronto CBC-radio program, Pamela Taylor was put on the hot seat, asked to name any openly gay Conservative MPs or Ontario MPPs. The trick is, none are openly gay.

She named John Baird, a Conservative cabinet minister who has always refused to discuss his sexuality in the media.

Baird is a familiar face in gay social circles in Ottawa. He regularly chats up queer bureaucrats at Public Service Pride social events. He's a friend of gay former Ottawa city councillor Alex Munter. He's attended Ottawa's Pride parties, including the 2009 parade (see photo).In the media, he's often portrayed as a workaholic bachelor and is the frequent (though non-sexual) date of Laureen Harper.