The prime minister of Luxemburg has set the example for other country leaders to follow as he became the very first current EU leader to wed a same sex mate, as the two men got married Friday. Luxembourg made it legal for same sex marriages to be performed on January 1st of this year. This makes Luxembourg one of around a dozen EU countries that now allow same sex marriages.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and his spouse, Belgian architect Gauthier Destenay had already had a civil partnership since 2010. Bettel had previously announced to the world that he was gay during a radio broadcast seven years ago, according to Reuter’s news service.
1st EU Leader to Wed Same Sex Partner Has Private Ceremony
One person who was to travel to congratulate the 1st EU leader to wed in a same sex ceremony is Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, who was one of the happy couple’s guests at the ceremony. Michel told the reporters from Belgium RTBF radio that he was happy to come to his friend’s wedding. The small ceremony was private, and Luxembourg’s City Mayor Lydie Polfer officiated for the couple.
Bettel told the crowd outside the office waiting to congratulate him that he was letting Luxembourg set the example by marrying his same sex partner. This kind of adventure in marriage was first undertaken by a governmental body besides the EU five years ago when Johanna Sigurdardottir, the prime minister of Iceland married her same sex partner. Iceland is not an EU member, so Bettel is the 1st EU leader to wed a same sex partner.
Bettel told the crowd who had come to witness the event that he wants everyone to be as happy as he is now and was reported to have posted a picture of himself and his partner on his Twitter page.
Luxembourg at Center of Other European Affairs
The country of Luxembourg has found itself at the center of other European affairs several times since the beginning of the EU in 1957. For instance, it is a major financial center, and has made several reforms over the years. In 2014, Luxembourg changed the adoption laws along with the marriage laws so that same sex couples could not only marry, but could also adopt children if they desired.
Many well-wishers made the travel to Luxembourg to congratulate the happy couple of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and his spouse, Belgian architect Gauthier Destenay, as Bettel became the 1st EU leader to wed his same sex partner while currently being in office.
