Bill Siksay

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Bill Siksay (2006)

Bill Siksay (born March 11, 1955 in Oshawa , Ontario ) is a Canadian politician of the social democratic New Democratic Party . From 2004 to 2011 he was a Member of the Parliament of Canada.

Life

His parents were Patricia and William Siksay. After finishing school, he attended the McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Oshawa. He then went to Victoria College at the University of Toronto , where he received his bachelor's degree in 1978. He completed the M.Div. Program at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia , where he was preparing for the office of pastor in the United Church of Canada . During this time Siksay was one of the first theologians to come out . He took part in the debate in his church on the ordination of homosexual pastors. The M.Div. Siksay did not finish his program and was therefore not ordained.

Siksay worked for the politician Svend Robinson for over 18 years. 1997 Siksay lost the elections for Vancouver Center against Hedy Fry . When Robinson resigned his seat in the Canadian Parliament for stealing a piece of jewelry, Siksay won the partisan nomination within the New Democratic Party of Canada . On June 28, 2004, he won the election and became a member of the Canadian House of Representatives. Siksay was the first openly gay MP in Canada to win the election. All other homosexual Canadian MPs such as Robinson, Libby Davies , Réal Ménard , Scott Brison only outed themselves after they had won the general election for the first time. Mario Silva was outed by the Toronto Star newspaper shortly after the election. Within the New Democratic Party of Canada , Siksay is involved in immigration and citizenship issues as well as LGBT issues. In January 2006, Siksay was re-elected to the Burnaby-Douglas seat of parliament by a large majority .

Siksay lives in Burnaby with his partner, Reverend Brian Burke . Both are actively involved as church members in the United Church of Canada .

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personal data
SURNAME Siksay, Bill
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 11, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH Oshawa , Ontario