2020 hopeful Pete Buttigieg had a very good week last week. And it continued into the weekend, when he headlined a brunch for the LGBTQ Victory Fund in Washington D.C. on Sunday.
“As a kid I was hoping one day I’d be an astronaut,” he said during his speech, “but no way would I have believed that one fine day in the spring of 2019 I would be standing in a ballroom in Washington, 37 years old, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, in my eighth year as mayor of my hometown, a couple hours after going on Meet The Press as a credible contender for the American presidency, with my husband looking on from his table!”
Related: Want visual proof gay presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg’s star is on the rise? You’ve got it.
During the 20-minute speech, Buttigieg spoke candidly about the challenges of growing up gay, saying he still feels “uncomfortable” when he talks about it:
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When I was younger, I would have done anything to not be gay. When I began to halfway realize what it meant, it launched in me something I can only describe as a kind of war. And if the war had been settled on the terms that I would have wished for when I was 15 or 20 or, frankly, even 25 I would not be standing here. If you had offered me a pill to make me straight, I would’ve swallowed it before you had time to give me a sip of water.
“Thank God,” he added, “there was no pill.”
Related: Christian extremists are gonna be pissed when they hear what Pete Buttigieg just said
He also talked about meeting his husband, Chasten, on the apps:
One day I was skimming through profiles on an app. Possibly not the app you’re thinking of. I looked through the little screen on my phone and I saw this smile. This guy. And I clicked the button on the right because I had to meet him. And one of the best things about these last couple months has been watching America meet him too.
Then he talked about their marriage, and what marriage means to him, saying, “and yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God.”
“If being gay is a choice,” he added, “it was a choice that was made far above my pay grade.”
Watch.
DCguy
The one thing I wish Mayor Pete would stop doing is buying into the “We must understand the bigots”.
If there was a black candidate running and the Vice President advocated for black people to not be allowed to marry, vote, etc… I doubt that the black candidate would be on the “Let’s educate them” route.
The right wing hates LGBT people and it isn’t because they aren’t “Educated”, they hate us for the same reason they hate women and minorities. They’re bigots.
That said, if Obama drove the right wing crazy it would be very interesting to see how unhinged they get with a gay President. (Snicker)
MSchmal
Sadly, you will most likely find that having a gay as president is easier for the right to swallow than having a black.
Charlie in Charge
Obama took the “let’s educate them” position many times.
Jared MacBride
“Credible contender” for the presidency? In his dreams. He’s the most Trump-like of the Democrat wannabes: elitist, self-righteous, and without any experience which would be helpful in running a nation. Next.
Xzamilloh
What are his positions? Policy proposals? Will he continue corporate welfare and expand the wealth gap between the top 1% and the working and poor class? Will he continue the military industrial complex that funds contractors and politicians in their pocket while we destabilize more regions and mess up more troops with unwinnable wars?
Because this is a fluff piece…and in the age of Trump, I simply do not give two country dumps on a hot summer road that he is gay if he’s just going to be another do nothing centrist
YouNeverKnow
The 5% poor is nothing but a resource drain to the society. They contribute almost nothing but sure are very good at grabbing what they feel entitled to. Forget the wealthy. What the politicians need to get support from is the vast middle class votes.
seanhingston
Bitch please, this is Queerty, not the NYTimes. How about some context – This is a speech at the Victory fund. Thus, specifically about queerness. Sheesh. If this is the only time you’ve heard him speak – which by your post it presumably is – the reel yourself in until you’ve actually given him a chance and you’re a bad homosexual for waiting this long.
Jussie_Racist_Clown
He’s a nothing. When the spotlight shifts to Kamala (if the Jussie thing hasn’t taken her down by then), then Pete Butt will fade into obscurity never to be seen or heard from again. At least, in the moment, he’s cute.
winemaker
God help us all if camel faced kamala harris gets the White House. This from a long term resident of California, San francisco to be precise. She screwed willie brown and when she got what she wanted from him and finished with him, she tossed him aside. As one of San Francisco’s worst DA’s, she let crime proliferate and cut ‘deals’ and basically screwed San Francisco. As a senator she screwed California and as President, God help us, she’;ll screw this country and you can bet on this. The real scary thing, there are clueless idiots her in California who haven’t had enough socialism and BULLSHIT who’ll will waste their votes on this thieving devil in disguise.
Billysees
Good article about a good person. Go Pete…
nitejonboy
I love that I love him as a candidate for more reasons than the fact that he is gay.
NeilIN72
Amen! I get so sick of all the commenters who say ‘but what are his views on policy?’ Do a simple Google search and you can find tons of interviews he has done where his stance on policy issues were the main crux of the interview, not his sexual orientation…
Billy Budd
Please someone; I am not american and I don’t know what are BootyGig’s plans for the economy, foreign policy, health care, and immigration policy. Explain to me please.
seanhingston
I’ll explain: See that keyboard in front of you…? Type “Buttigieg” and “policies” into the search engine and find out for yourself. Lazy
fur_hunter
What an amazingly articulate and educated individual. Not to mention his record and credentials. I wish him all the luck in the world for achieving his goals.
Ronbo
Ronbo
I’d love to see Pete’s past policy positions and achievements. I’m not going to be deceived by another Obama. Were were promised single-payer by candidate Obama in writing, as a result, we cheered and elected him. Then he shifted into Romneycare from the Heritage foundation when he had super-majorities in both the Senate and House!?! He wasted the gift that very few presidents are given.
Identity politics can be quite deceiving.
Hillary secured the nomination then went screaming to the right vowing “Single-payer will never, EVER come to pass.” She chose a corporate Dem who was anti-abortion from the Republican wing of the Democratic party. She campaigned FOR Republican votes, not Democrats; the plan was “For every blue-collar Democrat we lose in western Pennsylvania, we will pick up two moderate Republicans in the suburbs in Philadelphia, and you can repeat that in Ohio and Illinois and Wisconsin.”
Let’s focus on the organizer who founded and built the Progressive Caucus into the powerhouse it is today. Let’s focus on the man who supported gay-equality 30 years ago… The man who was attacked by the Democratic party for ENDORSING Jessie Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition…. the person who marched with MLK and was arrested protesting bigotry against blacks.
seanhingston
Then stop dissing Obama and Hillary and find out his Pete’s positions – see that keyboard in front of you? Use it!
For a Democrat, you make a great Republican.
gossimer
For those out there who drone on about, “What are his policies?”, “What are his achievements?”, and are too doggone lazy to simply check for yourselves; just wait for the debates! That’s when we will ALL get to hear what everyone’s “policies” will be.
Just remember, if the Senate ends up still being controlled by Republicans, especially McConnell and Graham, both of whom – among others – are up for re-election in 2020, it won’t matter which Democrat may be elected as the Republicans will do everything they can to stymie him or her, just as they did to President Obama.
In 2020, America has the opportunity to vote for REAL change, both in the White House and Senate! SO VOTE! Or STFU.