Gay in the 'Peg

>> Winnipeg's queer mayor Glen Murray returns to Montreal to talk urban politics

By MATTHEW HAYS

Glen Murray is passionate about city politics. It's a rare dedication in this day and age but he makes it a compelling one: within a minute of conversation with the man, he's delivering a passionate commentary on the state of our urban centres.



"In the 1960s, Canada had some of the strongest cities in the world," Murray contends. "Now we have some of the weakest. There has been too much focus on federal issues and our cities have been abandoned."

Murray should know about municipal politics. In October of '98, he was elected mayor of Winnipeg after serving three terms as a city councillor. For Murray, the campaign and victory came after a fateful change of plans (he'd originally been thinking of leaving municipal politics to pursue a private endeavour). For the city, the election's outcome meant a series of changes: Winnipeg had its first left-wing mayor in over 60 years; its first bilingual mayor in over 50; and, perhaps most notably, Winnipeg became the first major Canadian metropolis to have an out gay mayor--a breakthrough that was noted in the pages of The Advocate, among other international news media.

No one-topic candidate

While Murray has been out and proud for years, his sexual orientation never seems to be the first thing on his mind. He's as interested in new zoning laws, bringing down property taxes and preserving historic architecture as he is in furthering the causes of gays and lesbians. But he also understands why his election victory drew so much ink. "If I'd done this in San Francisco or Vancouver, no one would have bat an eye. I think part of the surprise was Winnipeg itself. No one thought it would happen here first."

Though a proud mayor, Murray's roots are in Montreal, where he grew up and eventually attended Concordia University. (He calls himself the "university's most famous non-graduate," referring to his unfinished, three-credits-short arts degree.) At 27 he moved to Winnipeg, where he became involved with local AIDS organizations. His commitment to political and social change grew and Murray found himself involved in numerous causes.

Murray first gained national prominence in '92, when the NFB chose to focus on the then just-elected city councillor and his struggle to raise a disadvantaged foster child. The boy, Michael Curtis, then 17 years old, had suffered child abuse and had a drug problem, not to mention a penchant for getting into trouble with the law. Murray did appear to be a good influence; while living with him, Curtis rarely got into trouble. Since being on his own, however, Curtis has been in and out of prison on various charges.

Suburbs and Elton John

While a hugely popular city council member and mayor, Murray did face his difficulties during various campaigns. During his run for mayor, one Winnipeg AM radio shock jock referred to Murray's supporters as a bunch of "Wiccans, drag queens, dykes and bikers." Murray took offense to the rhetoric and his eventual victory proved all the more sweet.

"Really, I never would have imagined this possible 20 years ago. There were no openly gay officials in Canada. In order for me to win, I had to win over upper-middle-class suburbs, and many of them did vote for me. To go this far in a couple of decades really is revolutionary."

The breakthrough in gay rights inadvertently led to a rather bizarre brush with celebrity for Murray. When Elton John was visiting Winnipeg for a concert appearance last year, the singer threatened to fly out without performing after a run-in with airport security. As both the Mayor and a gay man, Murray was called in to talk to John. "But I never even met him," recalls Murray, who says instead he had a diplomatic discussion with John's manager. The show ultimately did go on for John. What was truly strange was the barrage of international media about the incident, as reporters had a field day with the story of an openly gay local politician dampening one of the openly gay John's notorious tantrums.

"I think he was just exhausted," Murray says of the knighted performer. "But I think he was happy he went on in the end. The response he got was amazing." :

Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray will deliver his lecture, "The Murder of Canadian Cities," this Monday, March 27 at 6pm at Concordia's Hall Building, Room H-767

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