Justin Trudeau has received universal praise for visiting a gay bar in Canada.
The country’s prime minister – who has voiced his support for LGBTQ rights numerous times throughout his career – marked the start of Pride week in Canada by stopping by the Fountainhead Pub in Vancouver’s West End earlier this week.
Trudeau stopped by for 15 minutes and mingled with all the customers and staff, shaking their hands and taking photographs. It’s believed to be the first time a sitting prime minister in the country has ever visited a gay bar.
Charmaine de Silva, news director at News1130, wrote on Twitter: “People genuinely happy to see @JustinTrudeau as he visits the Fountainhead Pub, in the heart of Vancouver’s gay village.”
Trudeau tweeted shortly after: “Vancouver is gearing up for #Pride weekend right now, but the spirit of pride and inclusivity is strong here all year long! Thanks to the folks at @fountainheadVAN for the warm welcome today.”
When we spoke to Drag Race star Brooke Lynn Hytes about her recent encounter with the beloved prime minister, she said he was “the nicest” and revealed that his staff were all “gay men in shorts and tank tops”.
“It was so funny and so Canadian,” she told us. “He could not have been lovelier, he gave us the best hugs. He is one of those people that when he hugs you, you can feel it. I felt every one of his abs pressed against me.”
According to Brooke, Trudeau’s team reached out to the season 11 runner-up because he was a fan of the show.
“I was summoned to meet the Prime Minister,” she added. “Like, ‘Hey, I want to meet you, man in a wig.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ It was the highlight of my life. The leader of a country reached out to a drag queen.”
