Since this Democratic Mayor of South Bend, Indiana formed his exploratory committee for the 2020 presidential election, we’ve been hearing more and more about Pete Buttigieg. You may have already heard of Buttigieg when he came out as gay during reelection season for mayor in 2015 (while known homophobe and current Vice President Mike Pence was governor of his state). Regardless of when you first heard his name (which, btw, is pronounced boot-edge-edge), this presidential candidate has recently been gaining a lot of support. He is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, supports the Green New Deal, and supports universal background checks and a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants. Additionally, if elected, Buttigieg would be the youngest president in history (he’s currently only 37), the first president to go directly from City Hall to the White House, and the first openly gay chief executive. Here are seven more fun facts you should know about this awesome candidate!
1. He has a husband, Chasten.
Pete Buttigieg married Chasten Glezman in 2018 in the Cathedral of Saint James Episcopal church in downtown South Bend. This was the first time in four decades that a sitting mayor of South Bend has gotten married while in office. The pair met on a dating app while Chasten was pursuing his Master’s degree in Chicago and FaceTimed for weeks before having their first date at a minor league baseball game. Chasten admits that “he was hooked” after that first date (I’m not crying, you are). Chasten is a big supporter of his husband’s political career, and his Twitter has more than 168,000 followers. He teaches humanities and drama to junior high school students at Montessori Academy of Edison Lakes. If Buttigieg were to be elected president, Chasten Glezman would become the First Gentleman of the United States.
2. He’s an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Pete Buttigieg came out as gay in 2015 through an op-ed released in the South Bend Tribune entitled “Why Coming Out Matters”. Since then, Buttigieg has been very vocal in his support of LGBTQ+ rights. He supports the Federal Equality Act, which would give federal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. He has spoken out against the Trump administration’s banning of transgender people from the military, and he supports access to gender reassignment surgery for trans people in prisons. He’s an active supporter of the LGBTQ+ community in South Bend, and he even stopped by a pride event with his new husband before his wedding reception to thank his community for the support he received since coming out.
3. He’s religious, and his eloquent response to religious homophobes is incredible.
Buttigieg is Episcopalian, and he is very comfortable with expressing his faith. When asked how he responds to religious homophobes such as Mike Pence, Buttigieg explained that, “I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand…that if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.” Buttigieg strongly believes that religion can be a force of positive change in politics, as many Democratic policies are centered around empathy and follow traditions in faith such as treating the sick, welcoming strangers, and practicing tolerance.
4. He’s a millennial.
One of the perks of Buttigieg’s young age is that he belongs to a generation that has both a better understanding of current issues and a whole lot more at stake. In his own words, “I belong to a generation that is stepping forward right now…We’re the generation that lived through school shootings, that served in the wars after 9/11, and we’re the generation that stands to be the first to make less than our parents unless we do something different.”
5. He has some awesome hobbies (he’s also a musician and speaks seven languages!).
In addition to his career in politics, Buttigieg is a musician. He plays guitar and piano, and he performed with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in 2013. He also speaks six languages in addition to English – Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic, Dari, and French. He also taught himself to read Norwegian so that he wouldn’t have to read his favorite author in translation.
6. He’s left-handed.
This fact may not matter to most people, but as a leftie, knowing that Pete Buttigieg is also left-handed is super cool!!
7. He rescued two dogs–and one of them has an Instagram!
This article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the cutest members of the Buttigieg family – Truman and Buddy Buttigieg. Pete and Chasten have a lot of love for their rescue dogs, and Truman, the First Dog of South Bend Indiana, even has an Instagram!
Pete Buttigieg is an absolutely fascinating presidential candidate. In his own words, he’s “definitely the only left-handed, Maltese American Episcopalian gay millennial war veteran in the race”. While there’s no telling how long the growing support for Buttigieg will last, we’re excited to see what’s in the cards for this 37-year-old candidate!
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