In this latest Episode of The One Problem Interview, Reverend, Dr. Cheri DiNovo talks about women running for political office.

Hi there, my name is Avil Beckford, and this is another episode of The One Problem. My guests, come on, they present a problem, and they have five to eight minutes to offer their solution. Most of the people I've interviewed so far, I have some connection with them and with this week's guest, that is the case. She is the Reverend Dr. Cheri DiNovo. She has won the Order of Canada, and she's the minister of Trinity St. Paul's United Church.

And that's the church that I attend. So that's our connection. Now over to you, Cheri.

Cheri DiNovo

Sure, first of all, thank you for having me on your podcast. It's an honor. I guess the problem that would interest your listeners perhaps, is one I encountered when I first ran for political office. I was a member of the provincial parliament for almost 12 years. And I was asked to run by the political party I represented. I was very, very green. I had no idea what was involved. And I knew being a social justice activist that I thought I could, and I hoped I could do some good for folk who needed it – on the margins – if I was elected.

But I really didn't know about politics. And I guess I was more naive than most because I somehow didn't realize how nasty it can be if you run for political office. And this is one of the reasons women don't run and don't consider running for political office. So I think what I'm going to talk about, is for women, and directed at women in particular, why you should run for political office and what you should do when people attack you in that role, because inevitably they will.

The One Problem Interview with Cheri DiNovo Talking About Women Running for Political Office

So, in my particular case, I was a street kid growing up in Toronto. I lived on the streets for some time, left home at age 15, and I was drug involved in that role as many kids are. I managed to get off the street with the help of some amazing adults. But obviously, that was part of my background. I never hid that background. In fact, I preached about it as a story of hope, particularly since one of my congregations at my last church, where folk who tended to be street involved, also tended to be involved with drugs. And they tended to have mental health issues.

So I didn't think really much about it. Well, of course, predictably, when I ran and when I seemed to be doing well and actually looked like I might win the election, my opponents started circulating anonymous letters throughout the riding about me. And one was that I sold drugs, etcetera, etcetera. So this blew up. It became a press story. It was a by-election. So all eyes were on the election. And of course, it shook my campaign team.

Cheri DiNovo

All of them didn't know or should have known my background by then. And I was shocked that they would sink to such a level. And, of course, what I was immediately concerned about, other than obviously, it was a nightmare that I was going through, was the effect on my children who were hearing this. And again, not a surprise to them. They knew my background, but just the way that it was put out there.

It was obviously designed to hurt me and my campaign. And also, I was really concerned about its effects on my evening service folk, who were still street and drug involved. How would this affect them? I mean, I gave my stories, as a story of hope you can overcome. And here it was clearly catching up to me decades later. Even though I haven't hidden it at all. So I guess that's the problem. And now do you want me to go straight into the solution.

Avil Beckford

Yeah!

Cheri DiNovo

We handled it okay. So how did we handle it? First of all, I got very good advice from a campaign manager, who said if people want to talk about it briefly, deal. Don't evade the issue but steer the conversation back to the issues that matter in people's lives. So those same issues that matter today, poverty, housing, the environment, etc. So that is exactly what I did. When the press was haranguing me and I had a million microphones in my face, and they all wanted to talk about drug use, and which by the way, in my case had never been illegal. The drugs, LSD, that I was involved with was not even considered a criminal offense back then, but it didn't matter.

The point was being made. So I quickly swiveled. I learned how to swivel from the negative to the positive. You know, I would say yes, I've never hid that fact. I tell it as a story of hope. But let's talk about the environment or let's talk about housing. Let's talk about poverty and what it does to people. Let's talk about how we're going to get children who are living on the street off the street because we're talking about children here.

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Cheri DiNovo

So I would swivel from the negative to something that could be positive. And I remember the night that it all kind of turned around for me. And we offered an evening supper program for those who came in because many of them didn't want to eat well. And so I dropped in one night just to say hello to them, to see how it was affecting them. And I remember I sat down next to this man who had had an issue with crack cocaine, and he said, “So how's the political campaign going?”

And they said, well, actually, it's really horrendous. I said, my children are suffering. I'm suffering. This is not a good day. I wish I hadn't done it. And he turned to me and quoted scripture and he said, “You know, blessed are you. Then people revile you and say all sorts of evil about you.” And so, here was this person I didn't know who even read the Bible, quoted the Bible to me, his minister at a time when I needed it most.

So I also say that it wasn't all up to me, that there was this angelic hand at work there that got me back on track. And I thought, yeah, he's absolutely right. What's important here are the issues, not a smear campaign. I mean, the good news coming out of all of this is that I won that campaign. And in fact, my opponents, it went back to haunt them. That hurt them in that election, the fact that they engaged in this and continue to win another three campaigns after that.

Cheri DiNovo

So just to say, you know, tell the truth, don't be afraid of the truth. And if the truth comes back to bite you in some way, don't be afraid of that either. But focus again on the solution, focus on what's important in life and what isn't. You know, what isn't part of your background, you're  not your mistakes. I repeat that again. You are not your mistakes. You are a person that's looking towards the future and you're child of God, essential and beloved.

So maybe I will stop there. And just sometimes we need to be reminded of that.

Avil Beckford

Thank you so much, Cheri, people would really appreciate the honesty, and it is a problem with a woman running in politics.

Cheri DiNovo Books

The Queer Evangelist: A Socialist Clergy's Radically Honest Tale

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