A Gay Prime Minister for Italy?

I recently wrote about the legal problems facing Italian Prime Minister Silvio "I Can't Keep My Zipper Closed" Berlusconi who cannot keep himself away from young prostitutes. Now Berlusconi - and his allies at the Vatican - may be facing some interesting Divine justice as a confidence vote approaches. Berlusconi's principal rival for the post appears to be Nichi Vendola, the openly gay governor of the southern Italian state of Apulia. Needless to say, a victory for Vendola (pictured above) would be sweet for many reasons, not the least of which is because it would drive the bitter old queens in dresses at the Vatican berserk. And given Berlusconi's unbridled sexual escapades, Vendola would look like a pillar of sexual morality in contrast. In addition, a Vendola victory would show that Italy is sliding out of the grip of the Church as has happened in Spain and Argentina where civil marriage is now legal for same sex couples. The Washington Post looks at the story and here are some highlights:
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Many of the frustrated Italians gathering in the surrounding squares hoped this gay, Catholic, ex-communist poet whom the media has dubbed - partly in jest and partly in earnest - "the white Obama" would take the premier's place.
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Improbably, Vendola is positioned to become the next leader of Italy. His ascent from regional governor to national phenomenon has coincided with what increasingly looks like the decline of Berlusconi. The media mogul barely survived the Dec. 14 confidence vote, and in the past few weeks he has suffered the erosion of his governing coalition and the evaporation of his cherished immunity from prosecution. This week, Italian papers published wiretapped phone conversations connected to allegations that the 74-year-old paid for sex with multiple young women, including Karima El Mahroug, a teenage nightclub dancer nicknamed "Ruby Heartstealer."
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In 2005, Vendola stunned the opposition establishment and then the right-leaning power structure to win election as the governor of the socially conservative Apulia. In March, he comfortably won reelection and has since sought to raise his national profile.
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In a rare moment of understatement, Vendola said his parents reacted "not well" to his coming out. The breakthrough came, he said, decades later, when, in 2000, he addressed thousands of gay demonstrators at the World Pride march in Rome. After his speech, he received a call from his mother. " 'It's a shame we are old and couldn't come. You know, your dad was saying, maybe we should ask your forgiveness,' " Vendola recalled her saying. "I don't think I ever cried like that in my life. I think I cried for a couple of days."
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Vendola argued that, in Italy, Catholicism is more cultural than religious. When everyone is nominally Catholic, there is a lot more flexibility and acceptance. "I have a lot of nuns among my fans," he insisted. "In Italy there are parishes that distribute my discourses."
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I hope Vendola wins - if nothing else so as to turn the political establishment upside down for a much needed shake up.