Pete Buttigieg’s presidential candidacy ended far short of its goal. But it will likely still be remembered as proof of the remarkable advances made by LGBTQ Americans in their quest for equality and acceptance.
In this March 1, 2020 photo, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten Buttigieg, respond to audience members after an announcement of Pete Buttigieg's ending the campaign for president, in South Bend, Ind. Buttigieg’s presidential candidacy, though ending far short of its goal, will likely go down in history books as a success: proof of the remarkable advances made by LGBT Americans in their quest for equality and acceptance.
“Pete’s candidacy represents a revolution in American politics, forever transforming what is possible for an LGBTQ candidate and making clear America will elect an openly LGBTQ president,” said Annise Parker, a former mayor of Houston. She now heads the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which recruits and supports LGBTQ candidates for political office.
“The fact that Pete was gay didn’t really come up that much, which itself was an important marker,” said Richard Socarides, a former Clinton White House adviser on gay issues. “It’s such an angry, intolerant time. But Pete’s campaign proved that Americans are still capable of tolerance and accepting of differences.“
Still, Buttigieg was a controversial figure in some LGBTQ circles. As a white man with a Harvard degree, he acknowledged enjoying privileges that aren’t extended to women, people of color and the poor. His ties to organized religion concerned LGBTQ people who have been marginalized, excluded and mistreated by churches.
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