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Doug Emhoff Celebrates 'Second Gentleman' Being Added To Dictionary With Powerful Tweet

Doug Emhoff Celebrates 'Second Gentleman' Being Added To Dictionary With Powerful Tweet
Caroline Brehman-Pool/Getty Images

When President Biden first became "President-Elect Joe Biden," there was a great deal of excitement, but it wasn't all directed at the future president.

Quite the contrary! Though our focus is typically on the upcoming president and all they have planned for the country, the focus and celebration were largely directed to then-Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who was the first female Vice President in history, not to mention the first Vice President of Color in history.

A phrase quickly circulated around social media, "Make sure to wear shoes, ladies! There's glass everywhere," and the sentiment has most certainly stuck.

Not only are American citizens excited and inspired by this development, it's clear the folks in the White House are, too.

But no one appears to be more excited and supportive than Kamala Harris's husband, Second Gentleman to the Vice President of the United States, Doug Emhoff.

So when Merriam-Webster formally listed "Second Gentleman" as a word in the dictionary, Emhoff was among the first to celebrate.

Though Emhoff isn't the very first Second Gentleman, he was the first to appear at such high stature as Second Gentleman to the Vice President.

The Merriam-Webster team explained:

"The term is not new, but it's finally common enough to have met our entry criteria. [Many] states have and have had second gentlemen in the past."

Seeing the term in print made Kamala Harris's achievement that much more tangible for Emhoff. But when the term became official, Emhoff was quick to assure the public that he may have been the first to fill the role, but he most certainly would not be the last.

In celebration, Emhoff tweeted:

"Well, now it's official. Merriam-Webster just added 'Second Gentleman' to the dictionary."
"I might be first, but I won't be the last."

Clearly, Doug Emhoff expects to see a lot more "broken glass" in our future, surely with more women, LGBTQ, and people of color being elected into higher office.

Many Twitter users shared in Emhoff's celebration, and his sentiment.





We inevitably have a long way to go, but seeing our first female Vice President is undoubtedly progress. And seeing "Second Gentleman" officially in the dictionary? That's just one more indicator that we didn't dream the good news up.