Mayor Jim Watson comes out of the closet in op-ed
Posted Aug 17, 2019 01:34:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is gay.
He published an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen Saturday morning, detailing his struggle as a gay person, and why he waited 40 years to make his sexual orientation public.
“Better late than never,” he wrote.
He explained that he was teased as a 12-year-old, called names like “Jim Fairy,” but as he got older he simply dedicated himself to school and work, eventually entering a career that “would become his life.”
“I’m proud of my track record on LGBTQ issues,” wrote Watson. “From voting in favour of a motion on same-sex marriage to being the first Ottawa mayor to march in the Pride Parade during my first term.”
His advice for anyone still in the closet — “Don’t feel pressured or rushed to come out, but don’t wait 40 years either.”
To read Watson's full article, click here.
