Leo Varadkar’s announcement is a striking blow for honesty and decency

THE most remarkable thing about Minister for Health Leo Varadkar’s yes-I’m-gay announcement yesterday was that he felt the need to make it at all.

That the overwhelming reaction has been positive and cheeringly supportive might suggest that the declaration was unnecessary but because this is Ireland and because he is the first openly gay Government minister — but most of all, because he seems a confident, open, and honest person — it was a wise decision to offer the clarification.

Those who live their lives in political and media circles have known for some time, or at least assumed that they knew, that Mr Varadkar is gay, so the confirmation falls a long way short of being a revelation.