Andorra’s Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora Comes Out As Gay

Andorra’s Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora has come out as gay in an interview with the country’s public broadcaster on Monday. 

During an interview with Andorra Radio and Television, PM Zamora spoke about his sexual orientation, stating “I’m gay. I’ve never hid it”. 

“Now, if I’m not asked, I don’t have to say it either, in the sense that it doesn’t define the entirety of who I am and even less of my personal politics. But at the same time, I think it shouldn’t be a problem to express it.”

“And if this helps many children, young people or teenagers, who are going through a difficult time, see that in the end, regardless of their condition or sexual orientation, in this country, you can prosper and reach the highest magistracy, then I am happy to express it,” he added. 

LGBTQI Law Reforms

Zamora has served as prime minister since 2019 and was previously the minister of social affairs, justice, and interior under the government of Antoni Martí.

Throughout his time as Prime Minister, Andorra has achieved milestones, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation safeguarding gender identity and expression, and the establishment of the right for transgender individuals to modify their legal gender status.

In 2014, same-sex couples were granted the ability to form civil unions in Andorra. A bill to recognise same-sex marriages was introduced in the parliament in 2020 and the General Council voted to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples in 2022. 

The law eliminates the differences between civil unions and civil marriage and civil unions will be referred to as civil marriages now. It also adds rights for all couples as well, including no-fault divorce and alimony for spouses who did not have paid jobs during the marriage.

The new law also establishes a framework allowing transgender individuals to change their name and gender marker on legal documents without the necessity of presenting medical care as proof.

Out Gay Heads Of State

On LGA-Europe (the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association)’s most recent Rainbow Map rankings, Andorra is ranked 24th out of 49 European countries evaluated for LGBTQ+ rights. 

According to their website, ILGA-Europe tracks each country using a wide range of indicators, covering everything from equality, family issues and hate speech to legal gender recognition, freedom of expression and asylum rights. 

Currently, there are only five incumbent heads of state or government who have been publicly identified as being part of the LGBTQ+ community. These include Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, and the Prime Minister of Andorra, Xavier Espot Zamora.