A great deal of attention has focused on lack of ethnic diversity on the incoming Vancouver city council, but there’s also a lack of diversity when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity.

In a phone interview with the Straight, soon-to-retire Vision Vancouver councillor and LGBT community champion Tim Stevenson said that he plans to raise this issue when he delivers his goodbye speech on Tuesday (October 30).

“How is the gay community going to be represented by some straight guy that says, ‘Oh, I know all about gay people?’ ” Stevenson asked.

This was the first election since 1984 when an openly gay man was not elected to Vancouver city council.

Many out-and-proud LGBT candidates fell short in their attempts to be among the 10 councillors elected on October 20.

They include OneCity’s Brandon Yan, Vision Vancouver’s Tanya Paz, the NPA’s Justin Goodrich, Yes Vancouver’s Brinder Bains, and independent Rob McDowell, who is a member of the city’s LGBTQ2+ advisory committee.

Two of Vancouver’s best-known transgender people, Morgane Oger and Jamie Lee Hamilton, were also defeated. Oger was seeking a spot on the school board and Hamilton ran for the park board.

One incoming NPA councillor, Rebecca Bligh, lives with her wife Laura and is a volunteer with the Dr. Peter Centre, which serves many members of the LGBT community.

In 1984, COPE’s Sue Harris was the first out lesbian to be elected in Vancouver, as a park-board candidate.

The first openly gay man elected to Vancouver city council was the NPA’s Gordon Price in 1986.

In 1996, Hamilton was the first transgender candidate for Vancouver city council, with COPE. The first out lesbian to be elected to council was COPE’s Ellen Woodsworth, in 2002.

With files from Carlito Pablo.