Tim Stevenson - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tim Stevenson is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

and United Church

United Church of Canada

The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...

clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council

Vancouver City Council

Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...

as a member of Vision Vancouver

Vision Vancouver

Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...

. He is one of two openly

Coming out

Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....

gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth

Ellen Woodsworth

thumb|right|175px|Ellen Woodsworth speaking at a press conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada.Ellen Woodsworth is a former Vancouver City Councillor...

Background

He received a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

from the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

, a M.A., Spirituality

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

from Holy Names College in Oakland

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

and a M.Div

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

from the Vancouver School of Theology

Vancouver School of Theology

Vancouver School of Theology, located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, is a multi-denominational graduate school known for its theological innovations while being rooted in Christian traditions...

. In 1992 he was ordained by the British Columbia conference of the United Church of Canada

United Church of Canada

. He was the first openly gay person to be ordained by the United Church — other United Church ministers had come out after their ordinations. In 1993 he was hired as the minister of St. Paul's United Church in Burnaby, after being first promised a job at a church in Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

and then rejected due to controversy about his homosexuality within the congregation. He also served as a board member at the First United Church in the Downtown Eastside

Downtown Eastside

The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....

for 10 years.

Stevenson has worked in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

and South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. In 1991 he was a Canadian representative at the African National Congress

African National Congress

The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...

conference in Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

when Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...

was elected ANC party president. In 1994 he was an international observer in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

's first election after the fall of apartheid. Also in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

he has worked with the Black Liberation Gay and Lesbian Movement and other organizations that focus on social injustices.

Political career

In the 1996 provincial election

British Columbia general election, 1996

The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...

he was elected in Vancouver-Burrard to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party. He served as parliamentary secretary

Parliamentary Secretary

A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...

to the Minister of Health and between 2000-2001 he held a cabinet position as Minister for Employment and Investment. He was the first openly gay provincial cabinet minister in Canada

Canada

. In the 2001 provincial election

British Columbia general election, 2001

The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...

he lost to his BC Liberal opponent, Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt is a Canadian politician, who formerly represented the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the BC Liberal party....

.

In 2002 he was elected to the Vancouver City Council

Vancouver City Council

in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. As a member of the city council and board member of Tourism Vancouver, he best known for modernizing Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

's entertainment and tourism industry. When gay marriage became legalized in British Columbia, Tim Stevenson performed the first legal gay weddings

Same-sex marriage in Canada

On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...

in the province.

Stevenson was a candidate in the 2005 B.C. provincial election

British Columbia general election, 2005

The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...

, again in Vancouver-Burrard. Conflicting results throughout election night had both Stevenson and Mayencourt declared the victor at different times, and the uncertainty continued for several weeks. In the official count of regular ballots, Stevenson was declared the winner by 17 votes. However, when absentee ballots were counted on May 30, 2005, Mayencourt was declared the winner by a margin of 18 votes. After a judicial recount, Mayencourt was declared the victor by 11 votes.

Stevenson won re-election as a city councilor in the 2005 Vancouver municipal election

Vancouver municipal election, 2005

The City of Vancouver, along with the rest of British Columbia, held its triennial municipal elections on November 19, 2005. Canadian citizens who were over 18 years of age at the time of the vote, and had been a resident of Vancouver for the past 30 days and a resident of B.C...

as a member of Vision Vancouver

Vision Vancouver

, and again in 2008.

Drunk driving conviction

In May 2006 Stevenson drove home from a neighbourhood bar after having three and a half pints of beer over a two to three-hour period. He was stopped by police and tested .14 on a breathalyzer, which was over the limit. Stevenson waited over a year to announce the charge and upcoming court appearance. On July 17, 2007, Stevenson pleaded guilty to impaired driving and was fined C$600.00.

Open microphone controversy

In July 2010 Stevenson, Mayor Gregor Robertson

Gregor Robertson (politician)

Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson is a Canadian politician who has been the 39th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2008. He was elected as part of the Vision Vancouver party slate...

and Councilor Heather Deal

Heather Deal

Heather Deal is a professional biologist and Vancouver city councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008. She served as a Vancouver parks board trustee for the 2002 to 2005 term as a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors.Heather was born in England and...

were caught on an open microphone mocking and laughing at public speakers at a council session who had called for greater transparency in the selection of a 12-person committee that will advise council on rezoning. The tirade became a YouTube

YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

sensation, which led to a public apology. Representatives of the speakers felt that the profanity was not the issue, but the disrespect of citizens who were attempting to voice their concerns.

Electoral record

|-

| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal

British Columbia Liberal Party

The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...

|Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt is a Canadian politician, who formerly represented the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the BC Liberal party....

|align="right"|12,009
|align="right"|42.16%
|align="right"|-5.94

|NDP
|Tim Stevenson
|align="right"|11,998
|align="right"|42.12%
|align="right"|+11.04

|Green

Green Party of British Columbia

The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is led by former Esquimalt municipal councillor, university professor and businessperson Jane Sterk, she was elected by the party in 2007. Penticton realtor and columnist Julius Bloomfield serves as the deputy...

British Columbia Libertarian Party

The British Columbia Libertarian Party is a libertarian political party in British Columbia, Canada.It first nominated candidates in the 1986 provincial election...

Work Less Party of British Columbia

The Work Less Party is a political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The party was founded in 2003 by Conrad Schmidt. It has a federal wing and also participates in municipal politics...

Sex Party (British Columbia)

The Sex Party is a political party based in British Columbia, Canada, that contests provincial elections to promote libertarian and sex-positive attitudes towards sexual education, pornography, indecency laws, and prostitution. It describes itself as "the world's first registered political party...

Democratic Reform British Columbia

Democratic Reform British Columbia is a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.-Formation of the party:...

Platinum Party of Employers Who Think and Act to Increase Awareness

The Platinum Party of Employers Who Think and Act to Increase Awareness, also known as the Platinum Party, is a minor political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada....

|Antonio Francisco Ferreira
|align="right"|27
|align="right"|0.09%
|align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="left" colspan=3|Total
!align="right"|28,483
!align="right"|100.00
!align="right"|
|}

|-

| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal

British Columbia Liberal Party

|Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt

Lorne Mayencourt is a Canadian politician, who formerly represented the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the BC Liberal party....

|align="right"|11,396
|align="right"|48.11%
|align="right"|+10.88
|align="right"|$46,939
|-

|NDP
|Tim Stevenson
|align="right"|7,359
|align="right"|31.07%
|align="right"|-18.63
|align="right"|$45,493

|Green

Green Party of British Columbia

British Columbia Marijuana Party

The British Columbia Marijuana Party is a minor political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia that advocates the legalisation of cannabis....

|Marc Emery

Marc Emery

Marc Scott Emery is a Canadian cannabis policy reform advocate, as well as a former cannabis seed seller. He is currently serving a five year sentence in a United States federal prison for selling cannabis seeds....

|align="right"|906
|align="right"|3.82%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$394

|Unity
|Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell
|align="right"|290
|align="right"|1.15%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|

|Independent
|Boris Bear
|align="right"|136
|align="right"|0.57%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$157

|People's Front
|Joseph Theriault
|align="right"|40
|align="right"|0.17%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$57

|Independent Rhino
|Helvis
|align="right"|25
|align="right"|0.11%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$100
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|23,688
!align="right"|100.00%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|123
!align="right"|0.52%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|23,811
!align="right"|63.67%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|}

|-

|NDP
|Tim Stevenson
|align="right"|10,646
|align="right"|49.70%
|align="right"|-1.23
|align="right"|$43,534

| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal

British Columbia Liberal Party

|Duncan Wilson
|align="right"|7,975
|align="right"|37.23%
|align="right"|+2.00
|align="right"|$50,880
|-

|PDA

Progressive Democratic Alliance

The Progressive Democratic Alliance was a centrist political party in British Columbia, Canada founded by Gordon Wilson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Powell River—Sunshine Coast....

Green Party of British Columbia

Reform Party of British Columbia

The Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with...

British Columbia Libertarian Party

The British Columbia Libertarian Party is a libertarian political party in British Columbia, Canada.It first nominated candidates in the 1986 provincial election...

Natural Law Party of Canada

The Natural Law Party of Canada was the Canadian branch of the international Natural Law Party founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers who practiced Transcendental Meditation....

|Wayne A. Melvin
|align="right"|93
|align="right"|0.43%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$100
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|21,420
!align="right"|100.00%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|257
!align="right"|1.19%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|21,677
!align="right"|62.68%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|}

External links

Tim Stevenson at Vancouver City Council

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