Safe Spaces

Svend and Max

Svend Robinson and Max Riveron have been together for over 30 years. There has been a lot written about Svend, being the first Canadian Member of Parliament to come out as a gay man while in office in 1988. Svend's vast political career ran from 1979-2004, and he was the only openly LGBT member of the House of Commons until 1994. Among so many other things, Svend sponsored the bill to include sexual orientation in the federal hate crimes legislation and laid the foundation to make gay marriage legal in 2005. He was the Grand Marshall for the first Pride Parade in Calgary, Alberta. Svend's contribution to 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada has been profound and his work in the community continues to make the world a better place. 
My meeting with Max and Svend was surprising and unpretentious, initially through emails, and then in the hotel lobby in Richmond, BC. The two live in Cyprus most of the year, but still have a place in British Columbia where they come to visit. When I asked Svend where his safe place was, he told me the name of the hotel we met in. This honestly baffled me. But as the visit progressed, I could tell why. Everyone knew their names in the hotel, they were obviously regulars. They told me they stay in the same room, on the same floor every time they visit. They have been doing it for years. Every time they come back to Canada, this is where they come. 
We ate lunch while the two of them told stories about their past. Initially cautious with sharing information with a stranger, the two softened quickly and soon began to tell stories like we were old friends. Max's gregarious smile was dazzling, and his storytelling was beyond comparison. I listened in awe at the things these men had been through together and the astonishing life they built. Svend, always the politician, was gracious and charming. He knows more people and has more incredible stories than most people ever will. Max wouldn't let him get away with anything and would call him out in front of me...Svend's polished charm turning into coy smiles and loving looks toward Max.
We walked around the city, ran errands together, went to pick up prescriptions, tried on clothes, wandered through the local shopping centre, telling stories and laughing the whole time. This beautiful couple welcomed me into their unlikely safe space, a day-in-the-life of a political hero, and his unforgettable partner that stood by him through every moment.