In a historic move, Sarah El Haïry, a Democratic Movement politician and the youngest serving minister in France, has become the country’s first female minister to publicly identify as queer.
33-year-old El Haïry serves as the state secretary for youth at the Ministry of National Education and revealed her sexuality during an interview with Forbes.
While discussing her use of Twitter, El Haïry casually mentioned her partner, stating that she only reads the social media platform when it concerns her family or girlfriend. This frank declaration has made her a trailblazer in France’s political landscape.
🏳️🌈 La lutte contre les LGBTphobies est un combat quotidien.
Continuons sans relâche notre mobilisation en France et en Europe @Pierre_Ka 🇫🇷🇪🇺 contre les discriminations et pour le respect de chacun. #IDAHOBIT2021 #LGBT #17mai pic.twitter.com/avVPQl29K5— Sarah EL HAÏRY (@sarahelhairy) May 17, 2021
As the youth secretary of state, El Haïry has been a vocal advocate for both women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She has actively challenged discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in France, describing promoting LGBTQ+ rights as a “daily fight.”
El Haïry’s discreet announcement follows a similar revelation by former National Assembly of France member Olivier Dussopt.
In a recent interview with the French magazine Têtu, Dussopt discussed his sexuality as “neither a secret nor a subject” and condemned homophobic attacks in France. He emphasized that individuals should be able to participate in political debates without making their personal lives a political issue.
Although France’s current government, led by Emmanual Macron, supports LGBTQ+ rights, the rise of the far-right movement following the 2022 presidential election has sparked concerns within the community.
Macron narrowly defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, securing 58% of the vote to Le Pen’s 41.46%. The result prevented what could have been a severe setback for LGBTQ+ rights in France.
Nevertheless, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment persists in the nation, with ongoing homophobic attacks and a 27.6% increase in offences committed due to sexual orientation or gender identity in 2021 compared to 2020, according to Le Monde.
While France faces these challenges, El Haïry’s groundbreaking announcement is a significant milestone for women and the LGBTQ+ community in French politics.