Luxembourg’s Prime Minster, Xavier Bettel has spoken about how it was suggested that he should describe his boyfriend at the time as an “assistant” on an official trip to an unnamed country.
Speaking at this year’s Economist Pride Event, Pride and Prejudice, the world’s only and first openly gay world leader, Xavier Bettel, explained how it was suggested, by another country’s government officials, that his boyfriend, now husband, should be described as an assistant rather than his partner. Mr Bettel was on an official political visit to the unnamed country, although he wasn’t Prime Minister at the time.
Mr Bettel was on an official political visit to the unnamed country, although he wasn’t Prime Minister at the time.
Speaking about the incident, he said,
“I was an MP and had a meeting in the country and my partner, he is my husband now, but was my partner at the time, was joining me, I wrote on the paper, a form, that I would be joined by my partner.
“They asked me, ‘Are you sure?’, and I said ‘Yes, I’m sure!’.
“They said, ‘can’t you write that he’s your assistant and not your partner, so he’s your political assistant’, I said, ‘I prefer the reputation to be gay than have sexual relaitons with all my staff!'”
The Luxembourg Prime Minister also said that he was sometimes invited for official visits to other countries, only to be told that it would be too dangerous to come because of his sexuality. One such country’s officials asked that he not to mention the fact that he was gay, to which Xavier said he would purposely bring up and speak out about homosexuality. The invitation was swiftly removed.
