We have a lesbian senator...

... and she is Nancy Ruth. Lordy.

There are many polite words for Nancy Ruth: Honest. Up front. Stubborn. And there IS a lot of good in Ruth. She gets things done, and is an activist of many years: poverty issues, immigrant women, charter issues. We're talking feminism galore. She's done all sorts of astonishing things that the independently wealthy can do when they have a conscience and an iron will.

Ruth was nee Jackman, born into high falutin' Ontario royalty (brother Henry, Hal to his friends, is a former provincial lieutenant governor -- he's as leftie as a multimillionaire businessman can be). Ruth changed her last name a few years back over family stuff that she's never discussed publicly. She's both charming and foul-mouthed (some wonder whether she suffers from Tourette Syndrome, though I think she just likes to be blunt). She was appointed to the Canadian Senate yesterday (one of nine newbies), and, entertainingly, will sit as a Progressive Conservative. That's a party that no longer exists, having recently merged with a more right-wing gang to create the Conservative Party. She's not a compromiser, and that's good for us on many levels.

But she's also the sort of feminist who believes in women as victims, and her obsession with protecting women from victimization has hurt us in many ways, as well. I'll complete this entry later in the day.

ADDENDUM: ACTUALLY, I filed this the next day.... apologies for the delay.