Fridae

Elio Di Rupo, has become Europe’s and the world’s first openly gay male government leader when he was sworn in as Belgium’s new prime minister on Tuesday. Iceland’s Johanna Sigurdardottir became the first lesbian leader of a European country in 2009. 

Elio Di Rupo, Belgium's new PM

The 60-year-old politician with a Ph.D in chemistry however is said to be making more headlines in Belgium for his native tongue than for his sexual orientation. He's the first French-speaking politician to lead the country in 30 years after negotiating an end to the longest political impasse in the country’s history – more than 500 days without a government. Close to 60 percent of the country's population of 11 million speaks Dutch as their primary (Belgian) language. He is also first Socialist leader since 1974. 

Di Rupo’s sexual orientation came under public scrutiny in 1996 when he was falsely accused of having had sex with under-age males, according to the BBC's recently published profile of the new prime minister who's known for his trademark red bow ties.