Belgium’s former Deputy Prime Minister and current rector of Ghent University, Petra De Sutter, has announced she will not participate in an upcoming trade delegation to the United States.
De Sutter, who is Europe’s first openly transgender national minister, cited concerns about President Donald Trump’s recently reinstated policies on gender and identity.
Speaking to Belgian media, De Sutter explained that her presence could risk creating a diplomatic incident.
“I simply can’t go there, or I’ll get into trouble… Or I’ll cause some kind of incident, and I have no interest in that,” she stated, declining to elaborate further.
A long-standing member of Belgium’s Green Party and former Member of the European Parliament, De Sutter has frequently championed progressive causes throughout her political career.
Her decision reflects her unease over President Trump’s early executive orders, which emphasize traditional definitions of sex and gender.
In interviews with outlets like VRT and De Standaard, she hinted at personal safety concerns, drawing parallels to past experiences of discrimination.
Supporters, including Green Party colleagues, have rallied around her, framing the boycott as a principled stand against regressive U.S. governance.
Since his return to office in January 2025, Trump has battled the woke agenda by prioritizing policies aimed at restricting recognition of gender diversity.
Trump has reestablished sex-based guidelines in areas such as women’s athletics, and curtailing federal funding for programs associated with gender identity initiatives.
De Sutter’s decision has sparked debate within Belgium’s broader political circles, where some argue her absence could weaken the country’s voice in crucial transatlantic trade negotiations.
Many Belgians, weary of a political class they view as detached from real concerns, are questioning why cultural debates in Washington should dictate Belgium’s economic diplomacy.
De Sutter’s boycott is less about protecting rights and more about signaling virtue to an ever-narrowing political base.
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