Luxembourg gets a gay PrimeMinister
Wed 4th Dec, 2013 in Local News
Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel has been sworn
in as the small European nation’s first out gay Prime Minister, and in a
world-first, his deputy also happens to be gay.
Bettel (pictured) has formed a coalition government with the Greens and Socialist parties, and hopes to pass marriage equality legislation soon.
“Gay weddings with be done forthly,” he promises. “At the
moment in Luxembourg, we have to go through the situation of weddings,
religion and divorce laws. But I don’t think it’ll be in the next five
years – it’ll be next year.”
Bettel, 40, used to be the Mayor of the small European nation’s biggest city, and as Prime Minister he has appointed Etienne Schneider, the out gay leader of Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party, as his vice-Prime Minister.
“I never made my sexuality a topic in politics for people to vote against or for,” he said in a 2011 interview.
“I think people vote for my character and they vote for my full party. They’re just happy to see that I’m happy too – because if you’re happy at home, people can feel it and see that you’re doing your job well.
“Sometimes it’s not easy because you have some conservative persons, but there are always less and less and less [of them].”
Luxembourg is bordered by France, Germany and Belgium and has a population of just over half a million people,
Bettel (pictured) has formed a coalition government with the Greens and Socialist parties, and hopes to pass marriage equality legislation soon.
“I never made my sexuality a topic in politics for people to vote against or for.”He also plans to replace Bible teachings in schools with non-religious ethics classes.
Bettel, 40, used to be the Mayor of the small European nation’s biggest city, and as Prime Minister he has appointed Etienne Schneider, the out gay leader of Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party, as his vice-Prime Minister.
“I never made my sexuality a topic in politics for people to vote against or for,” he said in a 2011 interview.
“I think people vote for my character and they vote for my full party. They’re just happy to see that I’m happy too – because if you’re happy at home, people can feel it and see that you’re doing your job well.
“Sometimes it’s not easy because you have some conservative persons, but there are always less and less and less [of them].”
Luxembourg is bordered by France, Germany and Belgium and has a population of just over half a million people,
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