On Jan. 23rd, Pete Buttigieg, a married gay man, announced his Presidential campaign for 2020. Buttigieg (Booty-Jej) is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in a video on his Facebook page. His message in this initial announcement boasts a platform of dramatic change, noting his presidency would be a "fresh start."
If Buttigieg were to win it would be a historic victory on numerous levels: he would not only be the first openly gay President, but would also be the first openly gay nominee for President, the first Millennial President and the first President to have served in the Afghanistan War. But it doesn't stop there. Buttigieg would also be the youngest President elected and youngest to serve, at the age of 38.
Buttigieg married his husband, Chasten Glezman, in mid 2018. They have two beautiful dogs named Truman and Buddy. In his home state, Buttigieg is well liked for reviving South Bend's economy, having served as Mayor since 2012.
Pete Buttigieg announced his bid at a rather congested time in the 2020 presidential race. Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden are some of the top contenders for the Democratic nomination, clearly signaling a challenging road ahead for Buttigieg.
But if Buttigieg's promise of resilience and determination to represent the new generation rings true, perhaps the 63 million eligible Millennials will respond to his message with a vote. On January 27th his resilience was tested, as he announced on Facebook the passing of his father. There is no word yet on whether this will affect his plans to pursue the 2020 Presidency, but we at Gaye Magazine wish Buttigieg and his family the best in this difficult time.