Donal Lynch: Leo's snog showed some of us are more equal than others

"I sometimes think of Leo Varadkar as the Forrest Gump of the gay rights movement in Ireland: an unlikely figure who was always in the right place at just the right time. He waited until it was safe politically to come out and was against gay adoption before that, but then within a few short years he was on the cover of Time magazine as Ireland's first gay taoiseach, a global symbol of modernity."

"It was almost like he was getting a medal after only joining the race in the closing stages, but nobody minded because his success made the country look cool and progressive."

Leo Varadkar is likened to the Forrest Gump of the gay rights movement in Ireland, portrayed as an unlikely figure who was often in the right place at the right time. He delayed publicly coming out until it was politically safe and previously opposed gay adoption. Within a few years he appeared on the cover of Time magazine as Ireland's first openly gay taoiseach, becoming a global symbol of modernity. His rapid rise was seen as a late-entry reward, but the public largely accepted it because his success enhanced the country's progressive image.

Read at Independent