Gauthier Destenay White House NATO Spouse Photo Caption

Skip navigation!

In what looked like a pretty standard shot of NATO leaders' spouses at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, first lady Melania Trump stands alongside heavy hitters like Queen Mathilde of Belgium; the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron; and first lady Emine Erdoğan of Turkey. Another day, another political photo op, right? Well, the internet's quick fingers and even quicker wits pointed out that the White House's caption (Andrea Hanks, the official White House photographer, took the photo) omitted one of the people photographed: the first gentleman of Luxembourg, Gauthier Destenay.

The Daily Beast reports that "Destenay, an architect, married Prime Minister Xavier Bettel two years ago," which makes him the very first EU head to marry someone of the same sex. In fact, during the same photo call, photos of Destenay rubbing shoulders with the other NATO spouses went viral, so he's become something of an internet sensation — which probably led to the ire over the White House's caption.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Wait...why did the White House not include First Gentleman of Luxemborg Gauthier Destenay in this photo caption? https://t.co/d1ldUwEXmc pic.twitter.com/0WDltuDoGr
— Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) May 27, 2017

This pisses me off more than I can describe in 140 characters. His name is Gauthier Destenay - and he should have been included. https://t.co/sUw8v1hKxH
— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) May 27, 2017

Please RT to remind @POTUS and @VP that Luxembourg PM @Xavier_Bettel has a spouse. His name is #GauthierDestenay https://t.co/gR6iprXgVY
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) May 28, 2017

Other people on Twitter decided to celebrate the inclusion of Destenay instead, noting that the photo was a symbol of acceptance and equality.

Fantastic to see Gauthier Destenay, husband of @Xavier_Bettel & First Gentleman of Luxembourg, joining the NATO WAGs #loveislove #LGBT ?️‍? pic.twitter.com/T1R5qw6woQ
— Stephen (@stejs9) May 26, 2017

This picture is just everything. Simple statement of equality #pride #lgbt #Luxembourg #gauthierdestenay
(AURORE BELOT/AFP/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/tiByhWPeEi
— Alan Palmer (@PalmerAlan) May 26, 2017

Thank you @Xavier_Bettel for make history and support your husband #GauthierDestenay #FirstGentleman pic.twitter.com/sCHvpbSGds
— Richard L'acev (@RichLacev) May 26, 2017

Incidentally, the name "Gauthier Destenay" sounds like the hero of a romance novel. And he's sort of hot.
— Zell Oakley (@ZellTietj) May 25, 2017

BuzzFeed notes that nine hours after the photo went live, the White House added Destenay's name, though it didn't directly identify him with any position: the edited caption simply added "Luxembourg's Gauthier Destenay." (However, the caption also omits official titles for Slovenia and Bulgaria, as well). The Mirror and the Guardian are going as far as calling this a case of homophobia in the White House, thought it's difficult to say whether or not it's just a case of lazy writing on the part of the White House's social media team.

While the internet ships Destenay and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, know that they're not actually the very first same-sex couple at politics' highest levels. In 2010, the Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Siguroardottir (who also happened to be Iceland's very first female prime minister) became the first world leader with a same-sex partner.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

More from Global News

The World Is In Crisis & We’re All Grieving

Evie Muir is a nature writer, founder of Peaks of Colour and author of Radical Rest. In this op-ed, they share their perspective on the importance of havin

“I’m Fearful For My Life”: 5 Women Of Colour On The Far-Right Riots

by Varsha Patel

Refinery29, Unbothered & Somos Have Been Acquired By Sundial Medi...

It’s a new day for Refinery29, Unbothered, and Somos. We have been acquired by Sundial Media Group (SMG). SMG is a powerhouse media company that owns bra

by Refinery29 Staff

The Attack On Diane Abbott Is An Attack On All Black Women

Diane Abbott is frightened. Let that sink in. On Monday, Britain’s longest-serving Black MP learned that Frank Hester, the Conservative party’s biggest

by L'Oréal Blackett

Nobody Is Talking About Male Infertility & It’s Bad For Us All

There’s a story we’ve been told about Britain’s falling birth rate. It goes something like this: women are too focused on their careers, having child

by Vicky Spratt

I’ve Been Running A Vital News Source For Iranian Women — H...

It’s been almost three months since the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini. In September the 22-year-old Iranian was arrested in Tehran by the country’

by Lauren Crosby Med...

This Is Why Glasgow Is Being Called “The UK’s First F...

Glasgow is being hailed as “the UK’s first feminist city” after councillors passed a game-changing town planning motion. Submitted by Gre

Queen Elizabeth II Has Died At The Age Of 96

Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other sovereign countries and head of the Commonwealth, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has anno

by Refinery29 Staff

A Third Of Pakistan Is Under Water — Here’s How To Help From Here

In Pakistan, ‘unprecedented’ rains caused by climate change have left a third of the country underwater, killing 1,100 people and leaving 10 mi

by Zahra Campbell-Av...

I’m A 17-Year-Old Ukrainian Refugee, Reminding You The War Is Far...

Today marks six months since Russia invaded Ukraine. A conflict that the world hoped would end quickly following the initial invasion on 24th February has

by Lauren Crosby Med...

What Abortion Access In The U.S. Looks Like Post-Roe Dec...

This story will be updated as more news about the Dobbs decision comes to light. History will remember 24th June, 2022, as the day the U.S. Supreme Court d

by Molly Longman

Guatemalan Activists Face Threats & Violence, But They’re F...

In 2014, Topacio Reynoso Pacheco, 16, opposed a silver mine planned to operate near her hometown about 50 miles southeast of Guatemala’s capital in Mataq

by Shahrazad Encinias