LGBT Glossy 'Attitude' Names Pete Buttigieg Its Person Of The Year
Thu. December 31, 2020 9:17 AM by Carlos Santoscoy
Chicago, IL -
UK LGBT glossy Attitude has named Pete Buttigieg its Person of the Year.
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, made history as he pursued the White House, becoming the first openly gay presidential candidate in American history to earn primary delegates. He is also the first presidential candidate in a same-sex marriage.
"[T]o see Pete Buttigieg proudly kiss his husband Chasten at campaign rallies before going on to not just compete in, but win, a presidential caucus in a mid-West US state is to understand that a glass ceiling for LGBTQ people has truly been smashed in 2020," Attitude editors wrote. "Pete Buttigieg is, for all that he represents, Attitude's Person of the Year."
After dropping out of the race, Buttigieg backed President-elect Joe Biden and became one of Biden's most vocal surrogates.
Earlier this month, Biden nominated Buttigieg, an Afghanistan war veteran, as his secretary of transportation, making Buttigieg the nation's first openly gay presidential cabinet nominee. (Ric Grenell became the first openly gay official to serve in the cabinet when President Donald Trump selected him as acting director of national intelligence. Buttigieg's nomination, however, is permanent and must be approved by the Senate.)
Out UK Labour MP Chris Bryant called Buttigieg's acceptance speech – in which he thanked his husband – "moving."
"I defy anyone not to be moved by his cabinet nomination acceptance speech, in which he tells how he was infuriated as a young gay teenager by the Republicans' vicious opposition to Bill Clinton's appointment of an openly gay ambassador in 1998 (to Luxembourg of all places)," Bryant wrote. "It seemed that people like him were not allowed to belong in America."
"He decided 20 years ago that he wanted to change that, and now he hopes that his appointment will send teenagers a different message," he added.
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, made history as he pursued the White House, becoming the first openly gay presidential candidate in American history to earn primary delegates. He is also the first presidential candidate in a same-sex marriage.
"[T]o see Pete Buttigieg proudly kiss his husband Chasten at campaign rallies before going on to not just compete in, but win, a presidential caucus in a mid-West US state is to understand that a glass ceiling for LGBTQ people has truly been smashed in 2020," Attitude editors wrote. "Pete Buttigieg is, for all that he represents, Attitude's Person of the Year."
After dropping out of the race, Buttigieg backed President-elect Joe Biden and became one of Biden's most vocal surrogates.
Earlier this month, Biden nominated Buttigieg, an Afghanistan war veteran, as his secretary of transportation, making Buttigieg the nation's first openly gay presidential cabinet nominee. (Ric Grenell became the first openly gay official to serve in the cabinet when President Donald Trump selected him as acting director of national intelligence. Buttigieg's nomination, however, is permanent and must be approved by the Senate.)
Out UK Labour MP Chris Bryant called Buttigieg's acceptance speech – in which he thanked his husband – "moving."
"I defy anyone not to be moved by his cabinet nomination acceptance speech, in which he tells how he was infuriated as a young gay teenager by the Republicans' vicious opposition to Bill Clinton's appointment of an openly gay ambassador in 1998 (to Luxembourg of all places)," Bryant wrote. "It seemed that people like him were not allowed to belong in America."
"He decided 20 years ago that he wanted to change that, and now he hopes that his appointment will send teenagers a different message," he added.
This article appeared at On Top Magazine and has been published here with permission.