Petra De Sutter received the portfolio of the Minister for State Enterprises and Public Administration.
A transgender woman took up the post of Deputy Prime Minister in the newly created Belgian government. This is the first such case in the EU, reports Sunday, October 4, The Brussels Times.
“As part of the government of Belgium, which was appointed this week, the post of Deputy Prime Minister received an open transgender Petra De Sutter, but this event remained almost unnoticed in the Belgian media. De Sutter, a former member of the European Parliament, was appointed to the Flemish Green Party government. She also received a portfolio of the minister for state enterprises and public administration,” the report said.
According to De Sutter on Twitter, she is proud that in Belgium and in most EU countries “gender is not a problem. The politician also expressed hope that her example will be an occasion for discussion in countries where the situation remains different.
De Sutter is a gynecologist specializing in gynecology, she was the head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Ghent University. Throughout her political career, she has never concealed her gender orientation and has been an active participant in the LGBT movement, but has consistently emphasized that her perception in society should not be limited to her gender identity.
Belgium’s new government took the oath of office to King Philip on October 1, the first full federal cabinet in two years. Before that, Belgium had set a new world record of 653 days without a full-fledged government.
