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Sex please, we're British MP Chris Smith talks about being Britain's out secretary of state by MATTHEW HAYS
Mirror: Has a great deal been made of the fact that Britain has an openly gay secretary of state? Chris Smith: Interestingly, there's been much more made of it outside of Britain than here. As far as I'm aware, I'm the first openly gay cabinet minister anywhere in the world. That fact has not attracted much attention at all in the British press. I see that as a very positive thing. The idea has become so accepted that someone who's openly gay who says yes, I'm gay, so what, let's get on with the business of being a politician--that someone of that kind can go into government and be readily accepted. That's a sign of enormous progress. M: The obvious one is the recent election victory, but have there been other high points in your political career? CS: Two moments that stand out are when I first came out, which was way back in 1984. And the remarkable feeling of standing up in front of a hall full of people and being open about my sexuality was something that no one had really done before and there was a lot of excitement about that. The other moment was during the debate about the age of consent for gay male relationships about three years ago. There was really high drama because there was a free vote and we knew that a number of conservative MPs were going to support equality, which was what I was arguing for. When I made my speech during that debate you could have heard a pin drop. It was packed, but absolutely quiet. I think the fact that members of the House of Commons could show respect for someone putting forward views about equality showed considerable advance. M: After all his years in office, openly gay Canadian MP Svend Robinson says there's been a personal sacrifice for all his work. Do you ever feel the time you've spent in public office has meant personal sacrifice? CS: I think anyone who does the job assiduously is making a sacrifice, because the hours are long, there's endless paperwork to deal with, there are endless meetings. It's very hard to carve out a private life for yourself. I think anyone, straight or gay, married or unmarried, has enormous pressures on them. Whether it's more pressured for those who are gay and in the public eye, I don't know. I think it may be, because you're always very conscious of the fact that people are watching and whether you like it or not, you're a role model for lesbians and gay men and you have to bear that in mind all the time. M: What was the worst thing about Tory rule for gays and lesbians in Britain? CS: The worst thing by far was the notorious Section 28, a clause in the local government act that prohibits the promotion of homosexuality. Though no prosecution has been brought under it, the really offensive thing about it is what it stands for. It labels gay and lesbian relationships as second-class relationships. It calls them pretend families. It says that teachers confronted by a teenager who is confused about his or her sexuality cannot say anything. It's a dreadful piece of legislation and I look forward to the day when we can take it off the books. M: What's next? CS: Looking for changing immigration laws, not just for gay couples but for unmarried straight couples. Right now you have to go through a lot of hoops to justify any long-term relationship if marriage isn't involved. We're also hoping in the near future to vote again on the age of consent issue. You'll probably recall that the last time around we were able to reduce the age of consent from 21 down to 18. But that's still unequal as far as the ages for straight relationships or lesbian relationships, which are 16. So I hope we'll get the chance to do that soon. M: When Bill Clinton was first elected, there were very high hopes about what he'd do. But he appeared to buckle under pressure quickly and doesn't look nearly so progressive any more. Tony Blair is similar, in that there are very high hopes around him as well. Is Blair another Clinton? CS: No, because we very deliberately made no attempt to hype up the promise of Labour government in any way, shape or form. We were very realistic in terms of what we promised; we didn't stir up unrealizable hopes. I think the determination is to succeed better than what we promised, rather than fail people's expectations.
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One tends to associate the isle of Britain with uptight sexual and social mores. Britons are private, repressed and not terribly demonstrative. But in terms of gay politics, last May's British election--which gave the Labour Party an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons--put other nations to shame. Chris Smith, the nation's first openly gay MP who came out in 1984, was promptly handed one of the most important portfolios a minister can have: secretary of state. The Harvard and Cambridgeeducated Smith, who worked as a housing development worker prior to first being elected in '83, has always campaigned on the idea that honesty is the best policy. He spoke with the Mirror about the Labour victory and about new challenges from his office in the House of Commons in London.