This is a list of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans (LGBT) people who have been the head of state or government of a country or a subnational division such as a state, a province, or a territory. Openly LGBT people have served as national heads of state or government in Andorra, Belgium, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, San Marino, and Serbia.
Heads of state[edit]
Denotes incumbent head of state
| Name | Portrait | Country | National population (while in office) |
Office | Political party | Mandate start | Mandate end | Term length | Sexual orientation/ gender identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Rondelli | 
|
 San Marino
|
33,627 (2021 estimate) | Captain Regent | RETE Movement | 1 April 2022 | 1 October 2022 | 183 days | Gay[1] |
| Edgars Rinkēvičs | 
|
 Latvia
|
1,827,533 (2023 estimate) | President | Unity | 8 July 2023 | Incumbent | 285 days | Gay[2][3] |
Heads and deputy heads of government[edit]
Denotes incumbent head of government
| Name | Portrait | Country | National population (while in office) |
Office | Political party | Mandate start | Mandate end | Term length | Sexual orientation/ gender identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir | 
|
 Iceland
|
315,556 (2011 census) | Prime Minister | Social Democratic Alliance | 1 February 2009 | 23 May 2013 | 4 years, 111 days | Lesbian[4] |
| Elio Di Rupo | 
|
 Belgium
|
11,000,638 (2011 census) | Prime Minister | Socialist Party | 6 December 2011 | 11 October 2014 | 2 years, 309 days | Gay[5] |
| Xavier Bettel | 
|
 Luxembourg
|
660,804 (2023 estimate) | Prime Minister | Democratic Party | 4 December 2013 | 17 November 2023 | 9 years, 348 days | Gay[6] |
| Leo Varadkar | 
|
 Ireland
|
5,149,139 (2022 census) | Taoiseach | Fine Gael | 14 June 2017 | 27 June 2020 | 3 years, 13 days | Gay[7] |
| 17 December 2022 | 9 April 2024 | 1 year, 114 days | |||||||
| Ana Brnabić | 
|
 Serbia
|
6,926,705 (2020 estimate) | Prime Minister | Progressive Party | 29 June 2017 | 20 March 2024 | 6 years, 265 days | Lesbian[8] |
| Xavier Espot Zamora | 
|
 Andorra
|
81,588 (2023 estimate) | Prime Minister | Democrats for Andorra | 16 May 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 338 days | Gay[9] |
| Gabriel Attal | 
|
 France
|
68,042,591 (2023 estimate) | Prime Minister | Renaissance | 9 January 2024 | Incumbent | 100 days | Gay[10] |
Deputy heads of government[edit]
Some openly LGBT people have also served as deputy prime ministers, or an analogous office, who may take the position of the acting head of government when they are temporarily absent.
| Name | Portrait | Country | National population (while in office) |
Office | Political party | Mandate start | Mandate end | Term length | Sexual orientation/ gender identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guido Westerwelle | 
|
 Germany
|
80,200,000 (2011 census) | Vice-Chancellor | Free Democratic Party | 28 October 2009 | 16 May 2011 | 1 year, 200 days | Gay |
| Etienne Schneider | 
|
Luxembourg
|
604,245 (2018 estimate) | Deputy Prime Minister | Socialist Workers' Party | 4 December 2013 | 4 February 2020 | 6 years, 62 days | Gay |
| Kajsa Ollongren | 
|
 Netherlands
|
17,590,672 (2022 estimate) | Second Deputy Prime Minister | Democrats 66 | 26 October 2017 | 1 November 2019 | 2 years, 6 days | Lesbian |
| 14 May 2020 | 10 January 2022 | 1 year, 241 days | |||||||
| Petra De Sutter | 
|
Belgium
|
11,492,641 (2020 estimate) | Deputy Prime Minister | Groen | 1 October 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years, 200 days | Trans woman |
| Grant Robertson | 
|
 New Zealand
|
5,136,220 (2022 estimate) | Deputy Prime Minister | Labour Party | 6 November 2020 | 25 January 2023 | 2 years, 80 days | Gay |
| Xavier Bettel | 
|
Luxembourg
|
660,804 (2023 estimate) | Deputy Prime Minister | Democratic Party | 17 November 2023 | Incumbent | 153 days | Gay |
| Rob Jetten | 
|
Netherlands
|
18,008,200 (2024 estimate) | First Deputy Prime Minister | Democrats 66 | 8 January 2024 | Incumbent | 101 days | Gay |
Sub-national leaders[edit]
Denotes incumbent head of sub-national government
| Name | Portrait | Entity | Country | Office | Political party | Mandate start | Mandate end | Term length | Sexual orientation/ gender identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Dunstan | 
|
 South Australia
|
 Australia
|
Premier | Labor | 1 June 1967 | 17 April 1968 | 321 days | Bisexual |
| 2 June 1970 | 15 February 1979 | 8 years, 258 days | |||||||
| Jerónimo Saavedra[a] | 
|
 Canary Islands
|
 Spain
|
President | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | 29 November 1982 | 4 July 1987 | 4 years, 217 days | Gay |
| 11 July 1991 | 2 April 1993 | 1 year, 265 days | |||||||
| Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal |  Valle del Cauca
|
 Colombia
|
Governor | Independent | 1 January 1998 | 27 July 1999 | 1 year, 207 days | Gay | |
| Elio Di Rupo |
|
 Wallonia
|
Belgium
|
Minister-President | Socialist Party | 15 July 1999 | 4 April 2000 | 264 days | Gay |
| 6 October 2005 | 20 July 2007 | 1 year, 287 days | |||||||
| 13 September 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 218 days | |||||||
| Jan Franssen | 
|
 South Holland
|
Netherlands
|
King's Commissioner | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | 3 May 2000 | 1 January 2014 | 13 years, 243 days | Gay |
| Klaus Wowereit | 
|
 Berlin
|
Germany
|
Governing Mayor | Social Democratic Party of Germany | 16 June 2001 | 11 December 2014 | 13 years, 178 days | Gay |
| Ole von Beust | 
|
 Hamburg
|
Germany
|
First Mayor | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 31 October 2001 | 25 August 2010 | 8 years, 298 days | Gay |
| Jim McGreevey | 
|
 New Jersey
|
 United States
|
Governor | Democratic Party | 15 January 2002 | 15 November 2004 | 2 years, 305 days | Gay |
| Nichi Vendola | 
|
 Apulia
|
 Italy
|
President | Communist Refoundation Party | 4 April 2005 | 1 June 2015 | 10 years, 58 days | Gay |
| Clemens Cornielje | 
|
 Gelderland
|
Netherlands
|
King's Commissioner | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | 31 August 2005 | 6 February 2019 | 13 years, 159 days | Gay |
| Lynne Brown | 
|
 Western Cape
|
 South Africa
|
Premier | African National Congress | 25 July 2008 | 6 May 2009 | 315 days | Lesbian |
| Allan Bell | 
|
 Isle of Man
|
 United Kingdom
|
Chief Minister | Independent | 11 October 2011 | 4 October 2016 | 4 years, 359 days | Gay |
| Martin Klöti | 
|
 St. Gallen
|
 Switzerland
|
Member of the Executive Council | The Liberals | 1 June 2012 | 31 May 2020 | 7 years, 365 days | Gay |
| Rosario Crocetta | 
|
 Sicily
|
Italy
|
President | Democratic Party | 10 November 2012 | 18 November 2017 | 5 years, 8 days | Gay |
| Kathleen Wynne | 
|
 Ontario
|
 Canada
|
Premier | Liberal Party | 11 February 2013 | 29 June 2018 | 5 years, 116 days | Lesbian |
| Andrew Barr | 
|
 Australian Capital Territory
|
Australia
|
Chief Minister | Labor | 11 December 2014 | Incumbent | 9 years, 129 days | Gay |
| Kate Brown | 
|
 Oregon
|
United States
|
Governor | Democratic Party | 18 February 2015 | 9 January 2023 | 7 years, 325 days | Bisexual |
| Wade MacLauchlan | 
|
 Prince Edward Island
|
Canada
|
Premier | Liberal Party | 23 February 2015 | 9 May 2019 | 4 years, 75 days | Gay |
| Niluka Ekanayake |  Central Province
|
 Sri Lanka
|
Governor | Independent | 17 March 2016 | 11 April 2018 | 2 years, 25 days | Trans woman | |
 Sabaragamuwa Province
|
Governor | 12 April 2018 | 31 December 2018 | 263 days | |||||
| Arno Brok | 
|
 Friesland
|
Netherlands
|
King's Commissioner | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | 1 March 2017 | Incumbent | 7 years, 48 days | Gay |
| Eduardo Leite | 
|
 Rio Grande do Sul
|
 Brazil
|
Governor | Brazilian Social Democracy Party | 1 January 2019 | 31 March 2022 | 3 years, 89 days | Gay |
| 1 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 108 days | |||||||
| Fátima Bezerra | 
|
 Rio Grande do Norte
|
Brazil
|
Governor | Workers' Party | 1 January 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 108 days | Lesbian |
| Jared Polis | 
|
 Colorado
|
United States
|
Governor | Democratic Party | 8 January 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 101 days | Gay |
| Gustavo Melella | 
|
 Tierra del Fuego
|
 Argentina
|
Governor | FORJA Concertation Party | 17 December 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 123 days | Gay |
| Claudia López Hernández | 
|
 Bogotá
|
Colombia
|
Mayor | Green Alliance | 1 January 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 108 days | Lesbian |
| Maura Healey | 
|
 Massachusetts
|
United States
|
Governor | Democratic Party | 5 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 104 days | Lesbian |
| Tina Kotek | 
|
Oregon
|
United States
|
Governor | Democratic Party | 9 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 100 days | Lesbian |
Others[edit]
Politicians who were closeted while in office and never officially came out or were outed only after their deaths or retirement include:
- Frederick the Great, King of Prussia between 1740 and 1786, was officially married to Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, but he is considered to have been homosexual by most historians. He had many suspected relationships with men and wrote homoerotic poetry. He never came out, although he did not do much to hide it.[11] After his death, many historians tried to pass off his homosexuality as a rumor, but it is now widely accepted.
- William II, King of the Netherlands between 1840 and 1849 and head of government until the constitutional reform of 1848, was either gay or bisexual; he had been blackmailed because of his sexual orientation.[12][13]
- Ludwig II, King of Bavaria between 1864 and 1886. Ludwig never married nor had any known mistresses. His diary, private letters, and other documents reveal his strong homosexual desires,[14] which he struggled to suppress to remain true to the teachings of the Catholic Church.[15] Throughout his reign, Ludwig had a succession of close friendships with men, including his aide-de-camp the Bavarian prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis, his chief equerry and master of the horse, Richard Hornig, the Hungarian theater actor Josef Kainz, and courtier Alfons Weber.[16][17] Letters from Ludwig reveal that the quartermaster of the royal stables, Karl Hesselschwerdt, acted as his male procurer.[18][19][20]
- Prince Maximilian of Baden, German chancellor in 1918. The Prince was gay, and was listed as such in a document by the Baden criminal police when he was young, but married Princess Marie Louise of Hanover. He is said to have been in a relationship with geologist Wilhelm Paulcke from at least 1912.[21]
- Gustaf V, king of Sweden between 1910 and 1950, was either gay or bisexual. After his death, restaurateur Kurt Haijby revealed that he and the king had a homosexual relationship. Haijby had threatened to reveal the relationship but was paid by the crown to keep silent.[22]
- Richard Hatfield, Premier of the province of New Brunswick between 1970 and 1987, never officially came out during his lifetime; his sexual orientation only began to be discussed on the record in media and biographical sources after his death.[23][24][25][26][27]
- Canaan Banana, the first President of Zimbabwe between 1980 and 1987, was found to be either gay or bisexual in 1997, despite his denial. After a highly publicized trial, he was convicted in 1998 of 11 counts of sodomy and "unnatural acts", for which he was imprisoned for six months.[28][29][30][31][32]
- Kārlis Ulmanis, the authoritarian leader of Latvia between 1934 and 1940, was unmarried and his possible sexual orientation was actively discussed both during his reign and after the restoration of Latvia's independence.[33][34][35]
See also[edit]
- List of the first openly LGBT holders of political offices
- List of current heads of state and government
- List of current vice presidents and designated acting presidents
- List of current state leaders by date of assumption of office
References[edit]
- ^ Anarte, Enrique (2022-01-12). "Tiny European states play catch up on LGBT+ equality". news.trust.org. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ "Par Valsts prezidentu ievēlēts ārlietu ministrs Edgars Rinkēvičs". LSM (in Latvian). 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Eglitis, Aaron (31 May 2023). "EU's First Openly Gay Head of State Elected by Latvian Assembly". Bloomberg. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Gunnarsson, Valur (30 January 2009). "Iceland to elect world's first openly gay PM". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Vander Taelen, Luckas (10 December 2011). "Can Belgium's new prime minister keep living the dream?". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Gayle, Damien (15 May 2015). "Luxembourg's prime minister first EU leader to marry same-sex partner". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Dunne, Seán (2 June 2017). "Varadkar set to be 'first openly gay Irish PM', say world headlines". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ^ "Srbija ima novu vladu. Ana Brnabić postala premijerka. (Serbia has a new government. Ana Brnabić becomes prime minister". Dirketno.hr. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ "El presidente de Andorra sale del armario: "Yo soy gay y nunca me he escondido"". The Objective. 11 September 2023.
- ^ Biseau, Grégoire. "Stéphane Séjourné and Gabriel Attal, a couple at the heart of power". Le Monde. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Blanning, T. C. W. (2016). Frederick the Great: King of Prussia. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6812-8. OCLC 918986371.
- ^ "Koning Willem II gechanteerd wegens homoseksualiteit".
- ^ Hermans, Dorine and Hooghiemstra, Daniela: Voor de troon wordt men niet ongestrafd geboren, ooggetuigen van de koningen van Nederland 1830–1890, ISBN 978-90-351-3114-9, 2007.
- ^ McIntosh, Christopher (1982). The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria. I. B. Tauris. pp. 153–159. ISBN 1-86064-892-4.
- ^ McIntosh 1982, pp. 155–158.
- ^ McIntosh 1982, pp. 153–159.
- ^ Oliver Hilmes, Ludwig II.: Der Unzeitgemäße König, Siedler Verlag, 2013, passim.
- ^ Holzschuh, Robert, Das Paradies verlorene Ludwigs II': Die persönliche Tragödie des Märchenkönigs, Eichborn 2001, passim
- ^ Przybilla, Olaf 'Auf vermintem Terrain', Welt, 9.11. 2001
- ^ 31. Antiquaria Peregrina, Antiquariatsmesse Ludwigsburg, 2017, p62
- ^ Machtan, Lothar (2013). Prinz Max von Baden der letzte Kanzler des Kaisers ; eine Biographie (1. Aufl ed.). Berlin: Suhrkamp. pp. 154, 233, 440–445. ISBN 978-3-518-42407-0. OCLC 862796444.
- ^ Gianoulis, Tina (November 16, 2006). "Gustav V, King of Sweden (1858-1950)". GLBTQ - An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ^ Warren Kinsella, "Not everyone loves a parade". Toronto Sun, June 26, 2011.
- ^ "Definitely out now". Perceptions, September 14, 1994.
- ^ Richard Starr, Richard Hatfield: The Seventeen Year Saga. Goodread Biography, 1988. ISBN 0887801536.
- ^ Politician Pays Price For Life On The Edge, Chicago Tribune
- ^ "Gay politicians come out of the closet and into the cabinet". The Globe and Mail, November 13, 2009.
- ^ Mark Steyn (17 November 2003). "Zimbabwe's Banana left legacy of disgrace". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ Essays in Honor of Bernth Lindfors, Volume 2, Barbara Harlow, Africa World Press, 2002, page 210
- ^ Zim's presidential rape scandal, Mail and Guardian, 28 February 1997
- ^ Taylor, Rebecca. 'They say that power corrupts – and it does'. The Guardian. 23 January 2002.
- ^ McNeil Jr, Donald G. (27 November 1998). "Zimbabwe's Ex-President Convicted of Sodomy". The New York Times (Archives). Retrieved 8 July 2007.
- ^ "News.lv: 'Delfi' atklātais dokuments par Ulmani: aizdomas par 'vadoņa' homoseksualitāti nav dzēstas 08.09.2022 Delfi Plus". news.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ mango.lv. "Pētījums: Kārlis Ulmanis esot bijis gejs". www.delfi.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ "Kārlis Ulmanis bijis gejs un šodien būtu piedalījies praidā, saka zibakcijas rīkotāji". tv3.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2023-05-13.