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Key Points
- During his maiden speech in Victorian parliament, Joe McCracken revealed he identifies as a gay man.
- He vowed to fight “identity politics”, saying he did not want to be defined by his sexuality.
- Mr McCracken was elected to the state’s upper house in November.
A Victorian Liberal MP has used his inaugural speech to publicly come out as gay, in what is believed to be a first for the state’s parliament.
Upper house MP Joe McCracken on Thursday reflected on his struggle with identity while paying tribute to his partner Jack.
“Most people would not know this about me, and it may come as a shock to some. I actually do have a partner in my life, but my partner is a he, not a she,” Mr McCracken said.
“Jack, I want to thank you for all your support and care over the last period of time. It has been so appreciated.
“I do not know what I would have done without you. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with this. I have experienced doubt, shame, anxiety and many other things.”
He added that while he had embraced self-acceptance, he did not want to be defined by his sexuality.
“I have never really talked about it much or made an issue of it, because I never wanted to be defined by it,” he said.
“I hate identity politics, and I will fight against it whenever I can. I have always struggled with the concept of defining a person by one aspect of who they are.
“A person is made up of a large set of diverse characteristics – age, gender, sexuality, race, religion, occupation. Why do we need to take one of those characteristics, amplify it and define a person in that way?”
Mr McCracken was elected as a member for Western Victoria in November after claiming second spot on the Liberals ticket for the region.
He served as a councillor for Colac-Otway shire from 2016 to 2022 and at 28 was the youngest councillor in its history. He then became its youngest mayor and deputy mayor.
Last year, Labor’s Harriet Shing and Steve Dimopoulos became the first openly gay MPs elevated to Victorian cabinet.
Ms Shing, who manages the portfolios of water and equality, was openly gay when she entered parliament in 2014 and referenced those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex as “my community” in her inaugural speech.
Mr Dimopoulos, the minister for tourism, sport and major events, spoke publicly about his sexuality in June when he was sworn into cabinet.
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