My Life In Books with Red Szell
Sep 7, 2026 · 59 min · 10 segments
Harvey Brownstone was Canada’s first openly gay judge and the first sitting judge in the world to write a bestselling book. Since retiring from the bench in 2021, he has been hosting his own TV talk…
Red SzellHostYes, there were other lesbians and gays on the bench, but they were closeted.
And again, I think it's very important to stress that I didn't announce it.
If people asked me, what did I do on the weekends? I would say, well, my partner and I went here and there and he did this and he did that.
They just knew I was gay because I just treated it like a normal part of my life, like everybody else did about their lives.
So would you say that actually your appointment in 1995 was a vindication for your decision to live your life authentically?
Well, I don't know if it was a vindication, but it was certainly a validation.
It was proof that my decision not to hide myself, like so many other people did, was the right one.
I'm sure you can imagine, Red, that I had many gay friends throughout my life.
And most of them ended up divorcing because they couldn't be something they're not.
If you're going to lie about who you are, you've got to keep track of those lies.
You've got to make sure that you don't catch yourself up in inconsistencies.
Yes, there were other lesbians and gays on the bench, but they were closeted.
And again, I think it's very important to stress that I didn't announce it.
If people asked me, what did I do on the weekends? I would say, well, my partner and I went here and there and he did this and he did that.
They just knew I was gay because I just treated it like a normal part of my life, like everybody else did about their lives.
So would you say that actually your appointment in 1995 was a vindication for your decision to live your life authentically?
Well, I don't know if it was a vindication, but it was certainly a validation.
It was proof that my decision not to hide myself, like so many other people did, was the right one.
I'm sure you can imagine, Red, that I had many gay friends throughout my life.
And most of them ended up divorcing because they couldn't be something they're not.
If you're going to lie about who you are, you've got to keep track of those lies.
You've got to make sure that you don't catch yourself up in inconsistencies.
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