Jennifer Siebel Newsom will be California’s “first partner,” not “first lady,” and we’re so here for this
California has had a new governor for less than a week, but the state’s first family is already shaking things up. Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, showed that she won’t conform to outdated gender norms, declaring that her official title will be “first partner” rather than first lady. According to CBS Los Angeles, the documentary filmmaker updated her Twitter bio to reflect her title on the day of the inauguration. The California governor’s website also refers to her as “first partner,” signaling that the Newsoms are truly a team of equals.
As a documentarian, Newsom is known for focusing on the fight for gender equality. Her first film, 2011’s Miss Representation, explored the ways in which the portrayal of women and girls in media connects to the lack of women in positions of power. The movie was so successful that it inspired Newsom to start The Representation Project, a nonprofit dedicated to challenging gender stereotypes. She went on to release a second film, The Mask You Live In, which focuses on challenging society’s definition of masculinity.
YASSSSS, @JenSiebelNewsom!!! 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/4H1LH3vBxS
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) January 10, 2019
This is how new gender norms start to be made. @JenSiebelNewsom , wife of the new California governor, will go by First Partner instead of First Lady https://t.co/OiUZe3r5nj
— Claire Cain Miller (@clairecm) January 11, 2019
Bye bye “First lady!”
Role modeling like a boss @JenSiebelNewsom https://t.co/G7F0GCgANz— Samantha Ettus (@samanthaettus) January 11, 2019
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Her husband is on board, too.
Beyond proud of @JenSiebelNewsom. Thanks to brave women like you who have demanded change, our country has seen major shifts in cultural attitudes and behaviors about gender. But it's not just women's work — it's men's work too. It's all our work. https://t.co/BM0wyZwa5J
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2019
It’s already clear that the Newsoms are serious about challenging norms and setting a progressive example for others—and we’re with them.
