Reimagining the Role of First Lady

Irina Karamanos, the partner of Chilean President Gabriel Boric, announced that she has resigned from the duties of the spouse of the president and wants to do away completely with the role and title of first lady. She explained that it is a job she didn’t seek and one she doesn’t believe should exist, mainly because the role is charged with sexism and the responsibilities have nothing to do with her skills or interests. An anthropologist and political activist, she worked to help her partner get elected but found once she was in the role of first lady, her own qualifications mattered little, and instead her influence came from the title itself.

Therefore, the government is doing away with the office of the first lady to transform the role that both the president and his partner have characterized as archaic.

I think Chile is on to something. I believe that in the United States, both the title and the role of first lady also need a makeover, one that reflects more appropriately the modern age and the people who hold the position and may do so in the future.

The United States has had a long tradition of the role of the first lady, officially dating back to Dolly Madison, wife of the fourth president. Every woman who has held the position — a full-time, unpaid job — has shaped it uniquely into a platform for causes that she believed in. Eleanor Roosevelt was a champion for women’s and civil rights and social justice; Jacqueline Kennedy brought her refined knowledge of history, the arts, and aesthetics to a White House restoration and an elevated commitment to the arts; Lady Bird Johnson was devoted to the environment; Betty Ford made an impact on the nation’s understanding of substance abuse, as did Rosalyn Carter with mental health. Nancy Reagan brought attention to drug abuse, and more recently Michelle Obama tackled childhood obesity. Her work with Dr. Jill Biden on military families continues now with Biden’s devotion to the cause. It appears that every woman who has been first lady of the United States has tried to use her influential public platform for good. This is, of course, a good thing, if the partner is moved to champion these causes because they want to, not because they believe their partner’s political image will be damaged if they don’t.

Like the first lady of the United States, state first spouses are not elected and earn no government salary. Like the first lady of the United States, they usually champion causes nationally or within their region. We have not had a first gentleman of the country, but if we look at the male spouses of women governors, their approaches to the role seem to be less dictated by traditional expectations, which could be a good model for future presidential partners. According to their National Governors’ Association website bios, of the seven men currently serving as “first gentlemen,” only three list some type of cause that they are devoted to — Kevin Reynolds of Iowa is committed to soil and water preservation (an extension of his former professional career); Bryon Noem in South Dakota is involved in promoting the “This Is South Dakota” initiative; and Marlon Reis, the same-sex partner of the Colorado governor, is an animal welfare advocate. Other first gentlemen include a dentist, a doctor, and an attorney who list their professional careers only. As unaccustomed as we are to powerful women in the U.S., there seems to be a novelty factor associated with men in the spousal role, such that Sarah Palin dubbed her then husband, Todd, as the “first dude,” leading me to wonder if there is as much interest in men who support their powerful wives as there is for women who unfailingly support their husbands.

Our first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, a college professor, is the first to keep her paid profession, and that is a step in the right direction. It is a substantial and meaningful break with tradition, since many first ladies either abandoned or put their professional careers on hold when their husbands became president. By keeping her paid profession, Biden signals that she has maintained her independence and individuality; and as she has stated, she derives happiness from teaching. It also signals to future office holders that they can do the same thing if they wish.

Doug Emhoff, the United States’ first second gentleman, has largely stepped away from his career as an entertainment lawyer. According to his official White House biography, Emhoff has been promoting the policies of the Biden-Harris administration, advocating expanding access to legal aid, and speaking out against antisemitism. He has also begun teaching law classes and notes that he wants to “set a good example and inspire the next generation of supportive spouses.”

While there is nothing essentially wrong with being called a “lady,” or a “gentleman” for that matter, these titles, with the origins in the 18th century, are old fashioned and suggest expectations and roles of an era we should be eager to leave behind. We need terminology that reflects the aspirations and possibilities of the future: a presidential partner who is independent, has autonomy, and chooses their vocation as they see fit. How about the title president’s partner? It makes room for a range of gender identification, couples who may not be married, and those of the same sex. And the role itself needs to make room for the uniquely individual approaches that future partners may wish to take. We are moving (albeit slowly) toward a more diverse era in American politics, therefore it is time to rebrand and reimagine the role of first lady. By changing the title to the president’s partner and allowing those in the role to fulfill the role as they wish, the United States invites more diversity, equity, and inclusion into our political process.