He is just 38. He is gay. He is the son of an Indian immigrant. And he’s a sign of how much the Republic of Ireland has changed in recent decades from a conservative nation dominated by the Catholic Church into a multicultural society where you’re as likely to be served a pint of Guinness by a bartender from Latvia as one from Limerick. Leo Varadkar, who was
elected as leader by members of his Fine Gael party on Friday, will take office as Taoiseach — Ireland’s prime minister — on June 13. His election follows the resignation of Enda Kenny, who became Taoiseach in 2011 but came under criticism for his austerity measures and his handling of a series of police scandals. Varadkar came out in 2015, the same year as Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by a popular referendum. READ MORE
