In Buenos Aires this week, a curious story dominated the headlines — not about politics at home, but about a romance unfolding nearly twelve thousand kilometres away. “After a queen, Argentina may now also deliver the first lord of the Netherlands,” declared Clarín, the country’s largest newspaper. The reason for this sudden fascination: Nicolás Keenan, a 28-year-old Argentine hockey player who may soon find himself at the heart of Dutch power as the fiancé of Rob Jetten — the centrist politician poised to become the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
Rob Jetten (L) and Nicolás Keenan (R). photo: De Volkskrant.You can simply scroll past—but please don't overlook the importance of an independent queer press.
Time is now or never.
Queer voices disappear without independent journalism to amplify them.
We document what others won't touch.
We hold power to account when it threatens our communities.
This work exists only because you choose to fund it directly.
Donate over €25/month and receive our limited-edition tote bag — a badge of resistance, a statement that you stand for fearless journalism.
We are grateful!
Can't donate? Sharing our work helps more than you think
You can simply scroll past — but please don’t overlook the importance of an independent queer press.
You can simply scroll past—but please don't overlook the importance of an independent queer press.
Time is now or never.
Queer voices disappear without independent journalism to amplify them.
We document what others won't touch.
We hold power to account when it threatens our communities.
This work exists only because you choose to fund it directly.
Donate over €25/month and receive our limited-edition tote bag — a badge of resistance, a statement that you stand for fearless journalism.
We are grateful!
Can't donate? Sharing our work helps more than you think
Dutch elections rarely make front-page news in Argentina. Yet the prospect of another Argentine — after Queen Máxima — joining the inner circles of The Hague has stirred national pride, and perhaps a touch of fascination. “If Jetten succeeds in forming a government, the country of Queen Máxima will again have an Argentine connection at the centre of power,” wrote Diario Chaco. On television, the news channel Todos Noticias framed the question more bluntly: “Who is Nicolás Keenan, the Argentine who can become the first gentleman of the Netherlands?”
Keenan’s story begins in Buenos Aires, but it does not stay there long. His father, a professional hockey player, moved the family frequently — to Spain, to Italy — as his career unfolded. Nicolás, tall and soft-spoken, followed in his father’s footsteps, wielding the stick with elegance and discipline. He would go on to win two gold medals with Argentina’s national team at the Pan American Games and compete in the Olympics in both Tokyo and Paris.
In 2017, at just twenty, Keenan moved to the Netherlands to play for HC Klein Zwitserland, a well-regarded club in The Hague. It was, by his own account, a quiet life: training, matches, and the solitude of a young athlete abroad. Until, in the summer of 2022, his life collided — quite literally — with that of a politician.
That year, Jetten, then serving as Minister for Climate and Energy, was forced to vacate his home for security reasons amid a wave of protests by Dutch farmers. Temporarily relocated to The Hague, he found himself in the same neighbourhood as Keenan. One afternoon, as the story goes, they met in a supermarket — an Albert Heijn, the Dutch equivalent of a Billa or Sainsbury’s — and fell in love.
Their relationship remained private until Jetten, never one for theatrical displays, posted a simple photograph of the two on Instagram. The effect was immediate. For Keenan, the post marked his public coming-out — he became the first openly queer player in the Dutch men’s hockey premier league. “People told me how happy they were that an openly bisexual hockey player is finally playing in the top division,” he told Trouw.
In Argentina, where same-sex marriage was legalised in 2010, the news resonated deeply. Keenan was hailed as both a sporting hero and a symbol of queer visibility in a country where machismo still casts a long shadow. He soon appeared on the cover of Gente, a glossy magazine known for its fascination with celebrity and romance. The headline read: “Nicolás Keenan: The striker who gave up everything for love.” Inside, readers found an intimate portrait: Keenan speaking about Jetten’s proposal, the challenge of learning Dutch, and his sense of freedom after coming out publicly. “Queen Máxima advised me to learn the language well,” he recalled from a state banquet.
Jetten, characteristically understated, commented beneath the magazine post on Instagram: “Very proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and speak out as you do.”
The Argentine press, meanwhile, has embraced Keenan as something between a celebrity and a cultural export. “He’s only 28, he’s from Argentina, and he’s about to become the Netherlands’ first gentleman,” read one viral post on X, formerly Twitter. The tone oscillates between national pride and gentle disbelief — as though Keenan’s story, part sports fairy tale, part queer romance, were almost too cinematic to be true.
Whether or not Jetten succeeds in forming a government, the couple have already made history of a quieter kind: their partnership has entered the European imagination as a symbol of modernity and openness in a continent still negotiating its boundaries between tradition and progress.
In the Netherlands, where the prime minister’s spouse is traditionally a discreet presence, Keenan may find the spotlight unfamiliar. In Argentina, however, the role of a political partner comes with its own kind of stardom. If the coalition talks succeed, the country of tango and hockey, of Pope Francis and Queen Máxima, will have added another unexpected chapter to its long and improbable romance with Dutch power.
And somewhere in The Hague, perhaps on another quiet afternoon, Rob Jetten and Nicolás Keenan — a politician and an athlete who once met in a supermarket aisle — are preparing to step into history together.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
* * *
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know.
* * *
You can listen to our podcast Queer News & Journalism on your favourite platform or go to our YouTube Channel @GAY45mag.
* * *
Let us know what you think at [email protected].
* * *
Submit a letter to the editor at [email protected].
* * *
We appreciate it. Thanks for reading.
