Queer Spring: New LGBT Leaders Everywhere 

 Elio Di Rupo
This floppy-haired bow-tie fan took over as Belgium's prime minister in December, making him the first openly gay man to head a nation on a full-time basis (Per-Kristian Foss, a gay man, briefly served as Norway's interim prime minister in 2002). Di Rupo is the first French-speaking politician to lead Belgium in 30 years — the majority speaks Dutch — and the first Socialist leader since 1974. When reporters asked Di Rupo in 1996 if he was gay, he responded, "Yes. So what?"