CTV anchor Seamus O'Regan to leave Canada AM for CTV National News

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      A few weeks ago, CBC’s Rick Mercer set the internet alight with his rant about homophobic bullying and a call for more LGBT Canadian public figures.

      A name you can add to the list of out Canadian LGBT public figures who you might not be aware of is CTV news anchor Seamus O’Regan.

      After nine years at cohost of Canada AM, O’Regan is leaving the show to join Lisa Laflamme on CTV National News as a correspondent. His last day on Canada AM will be on November 24.

      He was named in Maclean’s magazine’s “100 Young Canadians to Watch” in 1999 and in Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Awards in 2007.

      He’s interviewed everyone from former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin and former U.S. president Bill Clinton to Shania Twain and Prince. He also interviewed four former Canadian prime ministers together: Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, John Turner, and Joe Clark.

      And while you might find him dishy, sorry, fellas, he’s taken. The Newfoundland native married his longtime partner Steve Doss on July 9, 2010. Sigh.

      However, with all those credentials and a same-sex marriage, he certainly fits Mercer's criteria for a Canadian gay role model that youth can draw inspiration from.

       

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig. You can also follow the Straight's LGBT coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/StraightLGBT.

      Comments

      18 Comments

      uknow

      Nov 8, 2011 at 9:22pm

      If he was straight would you have mentioned that? Think not. Title is B.S.

      Martin Dunphy

      Nov 8, 2011 at 11:23pm

      uknow:

      If you check the blog header at top, you will see that it is for LGBT news.

      Have a nice day.

      Craig Takeuchi

      Nov 9, 2011 at 9:40am

      Hi uknow:
      It would be good to read an article before commenting on it.
      Also, in case you weren't aware, straight people don't have to declare their sexuality (with perhaps the exception of Liza Minelli and Rick Santorum) because heterosexism is deeply ingrained in our social relations.

      uknow

      Nov 9, 2011 at 7:21pm

      Sorry if I offended, didn't mean to. I have to admit I don't know what LGBT means & perhaps someone can tell me? I'm retired & not up with the latest lingo. Still think it's not right to say he's gay in a title. What does that matter? Aren't we all equal? If you're still upset with me then maybe you're not as liberal as you think? Then again maybe I'm wrong.

      James G

      Nov 14, 2011 at 9:07am

      @ uknow

      I am retired too. I am gay and from your generation. When I was young, language was used differently. An example is that a late re-occurring stretch of warm weather in early autumn was called Indian Summer. We did not consider this offensive, nor meant to call anyone down by using it. It was a happy term.

      Gay too once meant happy in the "Gay Paris" or "Gay Divorcee" sense. Eventually, gay meant what once was crudely described as queer. Now queer is considered an embracing and positive term. What was begun in Vancouver as a gay community centre became just The Centre and now is Qmunity, with the Q referring to Queer. We have come full circle with that one!

      LGBT refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Tran-gendered and/or Transvestite.

      Wendy Williams

      Nov 21, 2011 at 11:50am

      As a Newfoundlander I am proud of Seamus's success. I am an out lesbian who has had many young gay people at my home to show them that you can be gay, happy and out! It is very important that young men and women see themselves in public life

      Elaine McGregor

      Nov 22, 2011 at 5:32am

      I feel your article is shameful. As a "normal" heterosexual I am offended that you have to make sexuality the emphasis of your announcement about the promotion of a fine Canadian and successful media figure. I believe your less than subtle references to be insulting to the readers as well. Congratulations, Seamus we are all very happy for you and proud of your accomplishment.

      Craig Takeuchi

      Nov 24, 2011 at 10:46am

      This article, as stated, was written in the context of the suicides by LGBT youth over the past few years. It was also in reference to Rick Mercer's rant about the lack of visible Canadian LGBT public figures. (If you missed it, there are links embedded in the article as well so you can read more about it.)
      Unlike other minority groups, it is possible for some LGBT people to remain invisible. This leads to problems, such as stereotypical images getting media exposure. It doesn't help LGBT youth (or homophobic youth either) growing up seeing nothing but negative news coverage such as pedophilic priests, men dying of AIDS, or flamboyant figures criticized for being effeminate.
      In spite of great gains, it is still not a level playing field for LGBT people. There are still life-threatening gay bashings in cities like Vancouver. There are still large areas of the country where it is unsafe for LGBT people to hold hands, kiss, or even visit. There are still families rejecting their kids. There are numerous closeted gays and lesbians who are in fake relationships with members of the opposite sex just to hide. And there are the suicides.
      From the wording of some of the comments here, it sounds like there is a generation gap. Perhaps some readers grew up in an era when being gay was tolerated but better left unsaid.
      I presume that none of you are interested in seeing youth kill themselves. However, I do wonder if part of the reason you don't want any references to sexuality is because you don't want to think about the fact that he is gay? If so, I wonder who is really ashamed?

      Evangeline

      Nov 24, 2011 at 11:29am

      I agree with you Elaine. What you do in the bedroom does not define who you are. Leave it alone.

      A. Wake

      Nov 24, 2011 at 11:52am

      @ Elaine, as a "normal" homosexual, i am delighted by both the nationally recognized success of a member of my community, and also by the journalist's direct inclusion of this fact.

      Elaine, if you look up the Rick Mercer rant that everyone here is talking about, it might help you to understand better why it's so important for the queer community to become more visible than ever before, and openly state that they are so.

      the reason for this is so that queer youth can recognize hugely successful people who are also gay. if you take Seasmus's sexuality out of this article, you also rob the future of a young gay person who will grow up to think that gays rarely become successful, or that they must live with their love life as a polite omission.

      image a world where straight people's sexuality is politely omitted. you couldn't ever talk about who you were dating, or who you wanted to date, and when you went on a date you had to go to some secluded neighborhood where you wouldn't be recognized. you couldn't share with anyone but your closest insider friends that you even had a partner. that is the life that this journalist is trying to prevent by stating "here is a gay man. isn't his life wonderful, and look how he shares it with everyone, without anyone being offended at its mention."