André Boisclair
A Quebec political wunderkind whose rapid rise to lead the Parti Québécois was eclipsed by scandal and legal troubles.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Canadian politician and sex offender·Birthday: April 14·Generation X
Biography
André Boisclair's political trajectory was once marked by historic firsts and bright promise. Elected to Quebec's National Assembly at just 23, he became the first openly gay man to lead a major political party in North America when he assumed the helm of the Parti Québécois in 2005. His tenure, however, was brief and turbulent, plagued by internal dissent and questions about his leadership, leading to his resignation after a poor electoral showing in 2007. His later life was marked by a dramatic fall from grace, culminating in a 2021 conviction for sexual assault against a minor, an event that permanently reshaped his public legacy from that of a trailblazer to a convicted offender.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
André was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first openly gay leader of a major political party in North America in 2005.
- Served as the leader of the Parti Québécois from 2005 to 2007.
- Was elected to the Quebec National Assembly at the age of 23, one of its youngest members ever.
Did You Know?
He studied at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government after his political career.
Before entering politics, he was a civil servant for the Quebec government.
His leadership campaign for the Parti Québécois was notably swift, lasting only a few weeks.
“I made grave errors that betrayed the trust placed in me.”
