Ottawa mayor Jim Watson found a unique way to kick off the Canadian city’s week-long Capital Pride 2019 celebration: He came out as gay in the local newspaper.
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Watson, 58, announced his sexuality in an Ottawa Citizen op-ed : “I’m gay. There — I said it; or rather, wrote it. Those two words took me almost four decades to utter, but as they say, ‘Better late than never.’”
In the essay, he told his constituents that “not coming out sooner was a big mistake,” but he also detailed being bullied as a boy and finding “virtually no resources to seek for guidance or help, or just to talk” in the 1970s.
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Watson stayed in the closet throughout college, too, and then focused on his career afterward. “My various jobs — both in and out of the political world — became my passion and were all-consuming,” he wrote.
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Now, decades later, he finally feels empowered to bust down that closet door. “But if I can be so bold as to offer one bit of advice to those still in the closet: Don’t feel pressured or rushed to come out, but don’t wait 40 years either,” he wrote.
“My reluctance has not allowed me to live my life as full of love and adventure as my gay friends who were bolder and braver than I ever was.”
Congrats nevertheless to Mayor Watson… and may he make up for lost time now that he’s out and proud!
theafricanwiththemouth
Congrats to him. Wish him the best. I also hope that now that he’s out he gets that gay glow up. He needs it badly if that photo is anything to go by.
Jerry
Happy for him, I’m sure his life has been hard. Also, it doesn’t matter one bit how he looks , stop building and reinforcing stereotypes.
Rex Huskey
looks like a nice man…. how unfortunate he has to declare what he does sexually…. one day
capitalchorister
I live in Ottawa and share a previous political affiliation with Jim Watson. In no way did Mayor Jim have to declare what he does sexually. Most people knew he was gay already if only from the rumour mill. Jim came out because he wanted to. Read the op-ed linked in the article before making assumptions. He explains why he’s ready now, in part crediting the influence of other LGBT+ politicians in Ottawa.