The mayor of Nova Scotia’s second largest municipality has come out as gay, saying he decided to speak publicly after someone threatened to expose his personal life.
Cecil Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and a likely Progressive Conservative leadership candidate, spoke out about his personal life in an interview with CBC News today.
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The 49-year-old politician says he didn’t want to announce his intentions for the provincial Tory leadership with people thinking they could shame him or hold something over him.
He told the CBC he’s in a committed relationship with someone he loves and who supported his decision to speak publicly.
John Lohr, an MLA who has announced his candidacy for PC leader, voiced his support for Clarke.
“I appreciate you bravely sharing your story today, Cecil,” Lohr wrote in a tweet on Thursday night.
“Let’s focus on issues in the leadership race, and I condemn all personal attacks.”
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The Sydney Mines native served in the provincial legislature as a PC MLA for a decade before returning to Cape Breton to become mayor in 2012.
— with a file from Alexander Quon