Celebrate the Courageous Mayor Pete: He Doesn’t Have Straight Privilege Outspoken Follow Oct 22, 2019 · Unlisted

Pete & Chasten Buttigieg: a kiss that is more than a kiss

For decades, the LGBTQ movement has fought for greater representation in politics to ensure civil rights and equality under the law. Nevertheless, Mayor Pete’s unexpected and unprecedented rise to being a top tier candidate has not received the praise it deserves. There are whispers in the politico space that while he might otherwise be a good choice, he is not diverse enough to be selected as the Vice President pick. Others suggest he has had it easy, being a white man running for president. Easy?

Pete is gay.

There are voters in this country that may agree with his policies, may be impressed by his intelligence and calm demeanor, but nevertheless will not vote for him because he is gay. This is textbook prejudice. But for his gay-ness, he would get more votes in both the general election and the primary.

We take for granted something we’ve never actually had.

Harvey Milk fought for a political landscape where Mayor Pete could exist; where a national candidate could be seriously considered for his ideas and his character, regardless of who he loves.

Mayor Pete is 2nd in the polls in Iowa; he has over 600,000 individual donors; and has the third largest war chest. Even if he is not your candidate of choice, you should most certainly appreciate this historic accomplishment and recognize the undeniable bravery he has shown to get to this place.

Pete’s latest comment that liberal politics is suffering from a purity test — if a candidate does not present the most progressive policy, their idea is not worthy of consideration — is playing out on this topic as well. Yes, he is a white Christian male. Yes, we should be talking about those things and how privilege affects someone’s chances for public office. There is indisputable privilege that comes with his existence; however, running for President as a gay man comes with its challenges, too.

Thirty-one percent of Americans oppose gay marriage. Gay Christians are regularly exiled from their churches. The LGBTQ community is at a heightened risk of hate crime. 21 years ago, Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyoming for the sole reason of being gay.

Every time Pete kisses his husband, Chasten, he is risking his political future and personal safety.

It shook me to my core that Beto O’Rouke, someone who I respect, asserted that Pete lacks “political courage.” Pete came out as gay in an op-ed during his mayoral re-election campaign in socially conservative Indiana. In what way is risking your entire political career for the possibility of falling in love not a showing of political courage? To assert he lacks political courage is a complete dismissal of his history and our history.

We fought for marriage equality a mere 4 years ago. I am at a loss of how Pete’s ascendance is being overlooked.

At this moment, the queer community faces a Supreme Court decision that likely will say being gay is a lawful reason to be fired; the queer community faces a hateful administration focused on taking away fought-for rights, not giving them; the queer community faces violence and rape on the streets and in prisons; and the queer community faces imprisonment, torture, mutilation, and execution abroad under ruthless dictators.

If Mayor Pete becomes President, Vice President, or Secretary of State, it will be the biggest step forward for global human rights of the LGBTQ community in American politics.

I am voting for Pete because I prefer his policies. I am celebrating him because never in my lifetime did I expect an openly gay man to be in reach of the United States presidency.

We need to celebrate the courageous Mayor Pete.