A French government minister is the first to come out by speaking about her homosexuality in an interview.
In response to a question from Forbes about the criticism she is receiving on social media, Sarah El Haïry, the government’s youngest minister, spoke about her partner, Le Parisien reported on Saturday.
“I try not to read because I know Twitter isn’t real life. But when my family or my partner is affected, yes, it hurts me. But I made that choice of public action,” she was quick to mention.
According to the European newspaper, this is the first time a woman in the French government has revealed her homosexuality.
Another minister spoke of his sexual orientation in an interview when he was in charge of the controversial pension reform, which he considered “neither a secret nor an issue”.
Ms El Haïry nevertheless clarified on Twitter that if she is indeed the first minister to come out in France, she is not the first politician.
According to the Paris Police Headquarters, the number of complaints filed for homophobic and transphobic acts increased by 55% in 2022.