Tasmania has elected its first openly lesbian member of Parliament

The Australian state of Tasmania has made history by electing its first openly lesbian MP into office.

Alison Standen was elected to the Tasmanian Parliament last week after standing for a seat for the Australian Labour Party.  Whilst on the campaign trail, Standen campaigned with her partner and son and often spoke out about issues of equality.

“Leadership to me is about connection to values; and about courage to stand up for the things that matter most to me – including LGBTIQ rights and addressing social inequality in general,” she said, during the campaign.

“I haven’t always dreamt of being a politician or a gay activist. But this campaign has given me and my family the opportunity to stand up and contribute as advocates.” Read more via Pink News