Irish Sen. David Norris, an Independent, has launched his campaign for the presidency of Ireland, according to the Irish Times:

Asked if Ireland was ready for an openly gay president, Mr Norris said: “I don’t see myself as a gay president, I see myself as a president who happens to be gay.”

He added: “I think the Irish people are a little bit bored with my sexuality”. He said the Irish people knew him and his values and knew he had lived a decent and good life.

The Irish president is a largely ceremonial head of state directly elected by voters to a term of seven years.

Polling earlier this year showed Norris with more support than any other potential candidate.  The election will be held in October unless the current president, Mary McAleese, leaves office early.

Norris would the world’s only openly gay head of state.  Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the openly lesbian prime minister of Iceland, is head of government, but not head of state.