Nathaniel Teed Becomes First Openly Gay Member In Saskatoon
On Monday, September 26, Nathaniel Teed was elected Saskatoon Meewasin’s new legislative assembly member. Teed is the first person to hold this position as an openly gay man, reports Global News.
TEED BELIEVES THERE’S A NEED FOR MORE REPRESENTATION
The young politician won the Saskatoon Meewasin byelection and says that there is much work to be done. According to Global News, Teed wasn’t even aware that he was gay until later in life. At 19-years-old, Teed began questioning his sexuality. “I realised when I was about 19 years old kind of going into university, that was kind of the first inkling and kind of close to when I came out,” he says.
Teed has a background in education and he says that it’s important to bring more diversity to the field. Although this is where his origins are, Teed wants his constituents to know he represents all interests.
“There’s quite a need for queer representation in the education field and so I thought it was really important to continue to have representative voices in our legislature,” he says.
Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community does not automatically make one an expert on this diverse community, but it does make for a deeper understanding of the value in representation. For Teed, having more say in what gets passed in legislation means he can better advocate for the needs of those who entrusted him to the position.
In a news release, NDP Leader Carla Beck says, “Nathaniel inspired so many people in the riding with his hard work, dedication, and unbridled enthusiasm. I can only imagine what this win means to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, both young and old,” reports CTV News.
