A newly elected gay politician in Australia has moved many with a heartfelt speech about what it means to him to be representing his country as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Stephen Bates, a member of Australia's Green Party, was recently elected to represent Brisbane in the country's capital of Canberra.
In his first speech as a Member of Parliament, Bates spoke of his struggles earlier in life as a gay man and what his victory means to him and other LGBTQ+ people. See his comments below.
\u201cIn case you missed it: Greens MP Stephen Bates has made an emotional maiden speech during which he shared his challenges around coming out. He highlighted the importance of LGBTIQ+ representation.\n\nRead more here: https://t.co/BKScBLmo2K\u201d— SBS News (@SBS News) 1658976510
Bates said that he knew he was gay early in life but did everything he could to hide it. He told Parliament:
“I told myself I would force myself to get married to a woman, have kids and live in the suburbs."
“Because that is what you did, that is what you had to do, that is what was expected of me.”
He added that while his family has always been supportive of him, the absence of any LGBTQ+ role models in his life kept him from feeling safe to come out. As he struggled to speak through tears, he went on to say:
"I made a promise to myself once I came out that if I ever found myself in a public role, that I would be open and proud of who I am."
“That I would be that person that I never saw growing up, because if I can help even one person out there then my life will have been worth it.”
Bates underlined the importance of representation by sharing a letter he received from a mother of a teenager who saw Bates' campaign materials and wanted to donate to his campaign, "because if you cannot see it, you cannot be it."
The speech inspired a standing ovation from many of Bates' new colleagues in Parliament and an outpouring of support on Twitter.
\u201c@SBSNews @absoluteg99 What an incredibly powerful speech! @stephenbatesmp \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffc\u201d— SBS News (@SBS News) 1658976510
\u201cStephen\u2019s speech was powerful and highlights something really important. Parliament isn\u2019t a game. It\u2019s dealing with the lives of millions of people. People are struggling right now, and if our elected leaders are able to do anything to help, they have a moral obligation to do so.\u201d— Patchouli Paterson - Greens for Preston (@Patchouli Paterson - Greens for Preston) 1659050011
\u201c@stephenbatesmp @GuardianAus Hello; I am writing to you from Montr\u00e9al and I cannot tell you the emotions I have by listening to your first speech in your parliament...! Bravo and Congratulations \ud83c\udf89 kind sir. We lead by example and I guarantee you you reached your target...! Love \ud83d\udc95...!\u201d— Stephen Bates (@Stephen Bates) 1658914044
\u201c@SBSNews I would love to give this young man a big hug. Well done, @stephenbatesmp. \ud83d\udc4f\ud83e\udd70\ud83d\udc9b\u201d— SBS News (@SBS News) 1658976510
\u201cWatched the live stream of Stephen's maiden speech. Had bit of a cry to be honest as I was so touched by his heartfelt words while sharing his story. We are so lucky to have had him elected to our parliament. \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\u201d— Byron Stol \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Byron Stol \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1659008283
\u201c@stephenbatesmp @GuardianAus So wonderful. Your first speech was heartfelt and powerful. We're so glad you are in Parliament \ud83d\udc9a\u201d— Stephen Bates (@Stephen Bates) 1658914044
\u201cI am just so very stoked that my mum\u2019s riding back in Oz is now represented by a dynamic, young, Green MP! \ud83d\udc28\ud83e\udd98\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\n\nThe times are a-changing!\n\nCheering you on from just about as far away as you can get on the planet! \ud83d\udef6\ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\u201d— Anna C Keenan (@Anna C Keenan) 1658924365
\u201cHi @stephenbatesmp - this is absolutely incredible. Well done you. I\u2019m tears watching it. I wish you a fantastic term in office. Go well x \n\nFirst Speech \u2013 Stephen Bates \u2013 Greens MP for Brisbane https://t.co/1ETQmzH0fH via @YouTube\u201d— Not Cheryl Kernot (@Not Cheryl Kernot) 1659081677
\u201cGreen MP for Brisbane, Stephen Bates, maiden speech, "doing everything I could to hide [knowing he was gay as a teen]"\n\nRelatable content \ud83d\udc94\u201d— Paul Meek (@Paul Meek) 1658907607
On his campaign website, Bates said his decision to run was also inspired by having lived in the United States for a time, where he "experienced the consequences of a government that legislates people into poverty" and met a woman crying over whether to pay her rent or pay for her insulin.
