Pete Buttigieg be first openly gay person nfirmed to US bet | Pete Buttigieg | The Guardian

Contents:

• PETE BUTTIGIEG MAK HISTORY AS 1ST OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER NFIRMED BY SENATE
• PETE BUTTIGIEG BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON NFIRMED TO US BET
• MAYOR PETE IS PLENTY GAY
• WATCH: IOWA VOTER FREAKS OUT ON BUTTIGIEG PRECCT CAPT. AFTER FDG OUT MAYOR PETE IS GAY
• PETE BUTTIGIEG: HOW A YOUNG, GAY MAYOR BEME A DEMOCRATIC STAR
• ‘IT GOT REAL GAY REAL QUICK’: PETE BUTTIGIEG’S RISE ELECTRIFI THE GAY MUNY, BUT HE ULD FACE A ROCKY ROAD
• SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, MAYOR ANNOUNC HE'S GAY
• “WE’RE ALL FIRED UP ABOUT PETE”: FOR MANY NEW YORK’S GAY SCENE, BUTTIGIEG’S SEXUALY IS THE MOST UNEXCEPTNAL PART OF HIS CANDIDACYDONORS ARE “SPIRED AND VALIDATED” AND OPENG THEIR CHECKBOOKS—NOT BEE MAYOR PETE IS GAY, BUT BEE HE’S A STELLAR NDIDATE, FULL STOP.BY TA NGUYENAPRIL 3, 2019BY ALLISON ZCHA/THE WASHGTON POST/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT TOOK NEARLY AN HOUR FOR PETE BUTTIGIEG TO WALK THE SHORT DISTANCE OM THE BENCH ON WHICH HE’D BEEN STANDG, THE MIDDLE OF A PACKED CHELSEA RTRANT, TO THE BAR UPSTAIRS. THE TABL HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR HIS FIRST MAJOR FUND-RAISER AS A POTENTIAL PRINTIAL NDIDATE, BUT WHEN HE FISHED LIVERG HIS STUMP SPEECH, HE ULDN’T GET PAST THE HOR OF NEW SUPER-FANS WHO CLTERED AROUND HIM, ASKG QUTNS AND POSG FOR SELFI AND G MPAIGN STAFF TO WORRY THAT HE MIGHT MISS HIS FLIGHT TO SOUTH CAROLA. BY AND LARGE, THE CROWD BOMBARDG BUTTIGIEG WAS YOUNG AND DIVERSE—A REFLECTN OF THE DEMOCRATIC ALN THAT HAS UNEXPECTEDLY VLTED THE YOUNG SOUTH BEND MAYOR TO THIRD PLACE SOME POLLS—BUT THE HEART OF QUEER-IENDLY CHELSEA, WAS ALSO FULL OF WEALTHY GAY DONORS, RRYG RDS WH CHECKS AND HANGG ON HIS EVERY WORD.NEW YORK CY COUNCIL SPEAKER COREY JOHNSON, WHO HAD TRODUCED BUTTIGIEG EARLIER, POSTED A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM AT THE EVENT. WH MUT, HE TOLD ME, “I WAS LERALLY UNDATED WH TEXT MSAG, AND FOLKS ON INSTAGRAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA SAYG TO ME, ‘OH MY GOD, I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A FUND-RAISER. I’M SO UPSET I WASN’T ABLE TO ATTEND.’ THAT WAS OM BOTH L.G.B.T. PEOPLE AND NON-L.G.B.T. PEOPLE, BUT WAS PECIALLY AS TE AMONG GAY MEN OF MY AGE AND PETE’S AGE”—BOTH MEN ARE 37—“WHO, I THK, FELT CREDIBLY SPIRED AND VALIDATED BY HIS NDIDACY.”BUTTIGIEG’S DRAW IS EPER THAN THE NOVELTY OF A YOUNG GAY MAN NNG FOR PRINT, AS EVERYONE I SPOKE TO FOR THIS STORY EMPHASIZED. “HIS APPEAL IS VERY SIMPLE: HE’S THE ANTI-TMP EVERY NCEIVABLE WAY,” SAID CHARL KAISER, THE ACTG DIRECTOR OF THE THE L.G.B.T. SOCIAL SCIENCE & PUBLIC POLICY CENTER AT HUNTER COLLEGE AND THOR OF THE GAY METROPOLIS, TICKG OFF THE REASONS: “HE’S A HAPPILY MARRIED, MONOGAMO TELLECTUAL WHO WENT TO HARVARD AND OXFORD, AND THKS VERY SERLY ABOUT ALL THE ISSU OF OUR TIME. AND REALIZ THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYTHG ELSE.” PERHAPS MOST NOTABLE, KAISER SAID, IS THAT BUTTIGIEG “HAS ALREADY MA SEEM ALMOST IRRELEVANT THAT A PRINTIAL NDIDATE IS GAY. BEE PEOPLE WERE TALKG ABOUT HIM FOR EVERY OTHER REASON, REALLY, EXCEPT THAT ONE.” EVEN THE CHATTER AROUND BUTTIGIEG’S HBAND, CHASTEN GLEZMAN, CENTERS OVERWHELMGLY ON THEIR CHARMG AFFECTN FOR EACH OTHER. ALEX HALPERN LEVY, A FORMER STAFFER FOR CHUCK SCHUMER WHO NOW NS A POLIL SPEECHWRG FIRM, SCRIBED AS AN IAL THAT TRANSCENDS ANY ORIENTATN. “IT’S SORT OF LIKE GAY CAMELOT.”JOHNSON, THE CY-UNCIL SPEAKER, HAS NOT FORMALLY ENDORSED BUTTIGIEG YET, NOR HAVE OTHER POWERFUL GROUPS LIKE THE VICTORY FUND, WHICH SUPPORTS L.G.B.T.Q. NDIDAT NNG FOR OFFICE. BUT AS THE SOUTH BEND MAYOR PALIZ ON THE FLUX OF MEDIA ATTENTN AND OPENS HIS NEW HEADQUARTERS, THE EXCEMENT FOR HIS NDIDACY HAS REACHED A FEVER PCH. ON MONDAY, BUTTIGIEG ANNOUNCED THAT HE RAISED AN EYE-POPPG $7 LN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2019 OM ABOUT 150,000 DONORS—THE AVERAGE DONATN WAS JT $36.35—AND HE HASN’T EVEN FORMALLY LNCHED HIS MPAIGN. THE FASCATN SURROUNDG HIS PERSONA—A LENNIAL! A MIDWTERNER! A VETERAN! A POLICY WONK WH A GIANT BRA AND CHARISMA TO BOOT!—IS ONLY GROWG, WH THE L.G.B.T.Q. MUNY AND BEYOND.“I N’T SAY NCLIVELY WHAT THE TREND LE IS, BUT I WILL SAY FEELS CREASGLY NATNAL,” SAID LEVY. “IT ED TO BE THAT THERE WAS A GAY POLIL SCENE TO HELP OUR GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS LOLLY. I THK NOW ’S A FORCE NATNALLY.” IT’S ALSO BIG ENOUGH TO BE NOTICED THE NATNAL MEDIA. LAST MONTH, CNBC GOT A HOLD OF THE VE TO A BUTTIGIEG FUND-RAISER LEVY IS HOSTG WH BROADWAY POWER DUO RICHIE JACKSON AND JORDAN ROTH, WHICH WAS THEN FEATURED AT THE TOP OF THE DDGE REPORT. (SUGGTED DONATNS START AT $250.)NATNAL POLICS, AFTER ALL, HAVE CHANGED DRAMATILLY THE SCE 2008, WHEN THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA WAS STILL PUBLICLY AGAST GAY MARRIAGE. DURG THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTN, L.G.B.T.Q. NDIDAT WON HUNDREDS OF SEATS ON THE STATE AND NATNAL LEVEL—CLUDG EIGHT HOE RAC AND TWO SENATE RAC— WHAT ANNISE PARKER, THE PRINT AND C.E.O. OF THE VICTORY FUND, LLED THE “RABOW WAVE”. A RECENT POLL OM NBC/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SUGGTED THAT MOMENT MAY ARRIVE SOONER THAN EXPECTED: 68 PERCENT OF RPONNTS SAID THEY WOULD BE FORTABLE OR ENTHIASTIC HAVG A GAY OR LBIAN PRINT, CLUDG 75 PERCENT OF VOTERS BETWEEN 18 AND 34, AND A STUNNG 56 PERCENT OF SENR VOTERS “NOW SAY THEY HAVE NO OBJECTNS”—A HUGE SWG OM 2006, SHORTLY AFTER MASSACHETTS LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WHEN ONLY 31 PERCENT OF OLR VOTERS SAID THEY WOULD ACCEPT A GAY PRINT. “EVERYBODY I’VE TALKED TO THE L.G.T.B.Q. MUNY IS JAZZED ABOUT PETE’S RACE,” SAID PARKER, “BUT THE IMPORTANT THG IS THAT LOTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T THE L.G.T.B.Q. MUNY, EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT NECSARILY AT THIS POT SAYG THEY’RE GONNA VOTE FOR HIM, ARE SAYG, ‘WOW, HE’S A REALLY GREAT GUY. HE’S REALLY TERTG. I’M SO GLAD HE’S NNG.’”PART OF THE REASON FOR THE ENTHIASM, JOHNSON SPECULATED, IS AN ATTUDAL SHIFT THAT TOOK PLACE AFTER OBERGEFELL V. HODG, THE LANDMARK SUPREME COURT SE THAT LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. “FOLKS THE L.G.B.T. MUNY DON’T SUPPORT A NDIDATE JT BEE THEY’RE GAY,” HE SAID. “I THK DOWN MORE TO IOLOGY, MSAGE, AND THENTICY, THAT THOSE THREE THGS OVERRI INTY POLICS, A GRAVATNAL PULL THAT EXISTED THE PAST.” BUTTIGIEG’S “CROSSOVER APPEAL,” HE PREDICTED, WILL SERVE HIM WELL THE MONTHS TO E. “WE SAW [THE OTHER] NIGHT AN AIN-AMERIN LBIAN BEG MAYOR OF THE THIRD-LARGT CY AMERI,” HE SAID, REFERRG TO LORI LIGHTFOOT, NOW MAYOR-ELECT OF CHIGO. “I MEAN, THAT IS HUGE, HUGE NEWS. BUT AGA, HER NDIDACY WAS NOT FOCED OR CENTERED AROUND BEG L.G.B.T., AND SHE DIDN’T W JT BEE OF L.G.B.T. VOTERS.”BUTTIGIEG RECENTLY TABLISHED A MPAIGN HEADQUARTERS AND BEGAN A HIRG SPREE, A SURE SIGN THAT HE WILL SOON MAKE HIS NDIDACY OFFICIAL—AND, FOR PARKER, A SIGN THAT VICTORY FUND MIGHT NSIR BREAKG A LONG-STANDG NORM. “WE TRY NOT TO DO 2020 RAC 2019, BEE WE DON’T WANT TO STEP OVER THE GREAT MPAIGNS AND NDIDAT WE HAVE NOW,” SHE SAID. “BUT I’M HAVG TO HOLD BACK OUR ENDORSG BOARD A LTLE B, BEE WE’RE ALL FIRED UP ABOUT PETE’S NDIDACY. I SPECT THAT ONCE HE MEETS THE DEMOCRATS’ MIMUM [FOR THE BAT] AND FORMALLY ENTERS THE RACE, WE’LL ENDORSE HIM IMMEDIATELY, SPE OUR POLICY, BEE ’S SUCH A HISTORIC OPPORTUNY.”MORE GREAT STORI OM VANY FAIR—THE IVANKA E-MAIL BOMBSHELL— THE KEY TO UNRSTANDG THE DARK HEART OF THE MUELLER REPORT IS UNTER-TELLIGENCE— WHY SOME OF THE BIGGT NAM PUBLISHG ARE RISTG APPLE’S PULL— THE ART WORLD’S ULTIMATE GE MATCHLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HIVE NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHELON MK’S TWTER WANTED TO TELL TMP ABOUT A SEALED SEARCH WARRANT AND POTENTIALLY F--K UP JACK SMH’S CRIMAL INVTIGATNBY BS LEVTA NGUYEN
• PETE BUTTIGIEG IS PRIMG AMERI FOR A YOUNG, GAY PRINT, BUT PROBABLY NOT 2020
• BEG GAY HURTS MAYOR PETE. IT HELPS, TOO.
• 'MAYOR PETE' DIRECTOR ON WHETHER AN OUT GAY NDIDATE ULD BE ELECTED PRINT AMERI: 'WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THAT TTED'

PETE BUTTIGIEG MAK HISTORY AS 1ST OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER NFIRMED BY SENATE

Former 2020 printial ndidate and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has ma history as the first openly gay Cabet member U. "I n remember watchg the news -- 17-years-old Indiana, seeg a story about an appotee of Print Clton named to be an ambassador attacked and nied a vote the Senate bee he was gay -- ultimately able to serve only by a recs appotment, " he said. Eric Fanng served as Secretary of the Army durg the Obama Admistratn, the first openly gay dividual to hold an armed service's top civilian posn.

In the Tmp admistratn, Richard Grenell served as actg director of Natnal Intelligence, the first openly gay dividual to serve a Cabet-level posn an actg pacy, but his posn was not 's Cabet also clus the first female treasury secretary, first female director of Natnal Intelligence and first Black fense secretary. Pete Buttigieg won Senate approval on Tuday as transportatn secretary, the first out gay person to be nfirmed to a bet post.

Unr Donald Tmp, Richard Grenell served as actg director of natnal telligence and is gay, but he did not have to face Senate nfirmatn as an actg director.

PETE BUTTIGIEG BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON NFIRMED TO US BET

I’m worried bee there was an actual mi-bate on the left recently over whether Pete Buttigieg is gay enough. Taken too far, rips ntenrs to shreds before Tmp even tak out his for the mi-bate about Buttigieg’s gayns, arose prcipally om this lumn Slate, which clud the followg paragraph:“A margalized sexual orientatn n rema unspoken and unnoticed for as long as a queer person sir. A gay man who nforms to a cril mass of genred expectatns n move through life whout his sexualy attendg every teractn, even after he out.

Most people who are aware of his ndidacy probably know he’s gay, but his every appearance don’t activate the ‘Hey, that’s that homosexual gentleman’ rponse the average bra. It jt means that he might not be up agast que the same hurdl that a gay ndidate whout such sturdy ti to straight culture would be.

”The thor is assertg that Buttigieg, 37, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., don’t e across as particularly gay, meang... I’m kd of floored, bee I and other gay people around my age (54) or olr spent most of our liv tg people about the bigotry and accuracy of those very stereotyp and tmpetg the msage — the tth! — that gay people n be every b as buttoned-down and stra-laced as, well, Pete Buttigieg!

MAYOR PETE IS PLENTY GAY

Strange days, I guarantee you that Buttigieg’s adherence to “a cril mass of genred expectatns” and failure to “activate” the homosexual-alert siren don’t mean that beg gay has been cintal to his life and is cintal to his perspective. Nikki van n Heever, a uc precct pta for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, tried to talk down an Iowa woman who was censed to fd out — real-time durg a uc after she’d signed a rd supportg him — that the ndidate is openly gay.

In jt a matter of a month, this 37-year-old - who would be the youngt and the first openly gay US print - has transformed himself om long-shot to legimate ntenr for the Whe Hoe.

WATCH: IOWA VOTER FREAKS OUT ON BUTTIGIEG PRECCT CAPT. AFTER FDG OUT MAYOR PETE IS GAY

Surname pronounced "BOOT-edge-EDGE" Speaks French, Spanish, Italian, Malte, Arabic, Norwegian and DariSon of two universy amics, father an immigrant om MaltaMayor of South Bend, Indiana, sce 2012A former US Navy telligence officer and veteran of Afghan warCame out as gay aged 33 and married June 2018Perhaps most importantly, this surge of tert Buttigieg's ndidacy has translated to mpaign dollars, as he recently announced he has raised more than $7m (£5. In 2015, shortly the midst of his mayoral re-electn mpaign, Buttigieg announced a lumn the lol newspaper that he is gay.

PETE BUTTIGIEG: HOW A YOUNG, GAY MAYOR BEME A DEMOCRATIC STAR

""Beg gay has had no bearg on my job performance bs, the ary, or my current role as mayor, " he ntued. "I admire the fact that he's openly gay, " says Celia Botto of Manchter, who me to the Buttigieg event wh her hband, Brandon. He's for the Green New Deal, but as a "ncept" and a "amework" that emphasis the emergency the world ptn, 'Voters will re about my ias, not that I'm gay'Buttigieg's stump speech is heavier on visn than the kds of policy tails, however, which mostly e out terviews and media qutng.

“Man, ” said Buttigieg, takg the rabow-hued signs and lorfully drsed passersby that signaled he had entered Wt Hollywood, Los Angel’s facto gay neighborhood. ”Buttigieg’s emergence giv Amerins their send openly gay printial ndidate — activist Fred Karger sought the GOP nomatn 2012 — but the first, by far, to earn so much attentn.

Many gay Amerins are celebratg Buttigieg’s quick climb as a sign of tangible progrs. ”Buttigieg will almost certaly have to navigate anti-gay sentiment as his mpaign ntu.

‘IT GOT REAL GAY REAL QUICK’: PETE BUTTIGIEG’S RISE ELECTRIFI THE GAY MUNY, BUT HE ULD FACE A ROCKY ROAD

Colorado Democrat Jared Polis, who January beme the natn’s first elected gay ernor, faced homophobic bumper stickers durg his mpaign. his rise is electrifyg many gay voters, symbolizg an acceptance s members uld hardly image even a ago.

“To have gone om this time of rampant homophobia and AIDS-phobia to — a ltle more than a generatn — a time when we have marriage equaly and an openly gay man who is nng for print and raised $7 ln the first quarter is so extraordary. ”William Toledo, a 33-year-old who grew up Albuquerque said he uldn’t be open about his sexualy high school bee of lgerg anti-gay sentiment. ”Clearly, Buttigieg’s rise hardly means homophobia is a thg of the past, any more than Barack Obama’s electn marked the end of racism.

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, MAYOR ANNOUNC HE'S GAY

A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that 68 percent of voters were fortable wh a gay printial ndidate — a big jump om prev years and an all-time high, though that 30 percent mory uld prove to be vol.

“WE’RE ALL FIRED UP ABOUT PETE”: FOR MANY NEW YORK’S GAY SCENE, BUTTIGIEG’S SEXUALY IS THE MOST UNEXCEPTNAL PART OF HIS CANDIDACYDONORS ARE “SPIRED AND VALIDATED” AND OPENG THEIR CHECKBOOKS—NOT BEE MAYOR PETE IS GAY, BUT BEE HE’S A STELLAR NDIDATE, FULL STOP.BY TA NGUYENAPRIL 3, 2019BY ALLISON ZCHA/THE WASHGTON POST/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT TOOK NEARLY AN HOUR FOR PETE BUTTIGIEG TO WALK THE SHORT DISTANCE OM THE BENCH ON WHICH HE’D BEEN STANDG, THE MIDDLE OF A PACKED CHELSEA RTRANT, TO THE BAR UPSTAIRS. THE TABL HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR HIS FIRST MAJOR FUND-RAISER AS A POTENTIAL PRINTIAL NDIDATE, BUT WHEN HE FISHED LIVERG HIS STUMP SPEECH, HE ULDN’T GET PAST THE HOR OF NEW SUPER-FANS WHO CLTERED AROUND HIM, ASKG QUTNS AND POSG FOR SELFI AND G MPAIGN STAFF TO WORRY THAT HE MIGHT MISS HIS FLIGHT TO SOUTH CAROLA. BY AND LARGE, THE CROWD BOMBARDG BUTTIGIEG WAS YOUNG AND DIVERSE—A REFLECTN OF THE DEMOCRATIC ALN THAT HAS UNEXPECTEDLY VLTED THE YOUNG SOUTH BEND MAYOR TO THIRD PLACE SOME POLLS—BUT THE HEART OF QUEER-IENDLY CHELSEA, WAS ALSO FULL OF WEALTHY GAY DONORS, RRYG RDS WH CHECKS AND HANGG ON HIS EVERY WORD.NEW YORK CY COUNCIL SPEAKER COREY JOHNSON, WHO HAD TRODUCED BUTTIGIEG EARLIER, POSTED A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM AT THE EVENT. WH MUT, HE TOLD ME, “I WAS LERALLY UNDATED WH TEXT MSAG, AND FOLKS ON INSTAGRAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA SAYG TO ME, ‘OH MY GOD, I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A FUND-RAISER. I’M SO UPSET I WASN’T ABLE TO ATTEND.’ THAT WAS OM BOTH L.G.B.T. PEOPLE AND NON-L.G.B.T. PEOPLE, BUT WAS PECIALLY AS TE AMONG GAY MEN OF MY AGE AND PETE’S AGE”—BOTH MEN ARE 37—“WHO, I THK, FELT CREDIBLY SPIRED AND VALIDATED BY HIS NDIDACY.”BUTTIGIEG’S DRAW IS EPER THAN THE NOVELTY OF A YOUNG GAY MAN NNG FOR PRINT, AS EVERYONE I SPOKE TO FOR THIS STORY EMPHASIZED. “HIS APPEAL IS VERY SIMPLE: HE’S THE ANTI-TMP EVERY NCEIVABLE WAY,” SAID CHARL KAISER, THE ACTG DIRECTOR OF THE THE L.G.B.T. SOCIAL SCIENCE & PUBLIC POLICY CENTER AT HUNTER COLLEGE AND THOR OF THE GAY METROPOLIS, TICKG OFF THE REASONS: “HE’S A HAPPILY MARRIED, MONOGAMO TELLECTUAL WHO WENT TO HARVARD AND OXFORD, AND THKS VERY SERLY ABOUT ALL THE ISSU OF OUR TIME. AND REALIZ THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYTHG ELSE.” PERHAPS MOST NOTABLE, KAISER SAID, IS THAT BUTTIGIEG “HAS ALREADY MA SEEM ALMOST IRRELEVANT THAT A PRINTIAL NDIDATE IS GAY. BEE PEOPLE WERE TALKG ABOUT HIM FOR EVERY OTHER REASON, REALLY, EXCEPT THAT ONE.” EVEN THE CHATTER AROUND BUTTIGIEG’S HBAND, CHASTEN GLEZMAN, CENTERS OVERWHELMGLY ON THEIR CHARMG AFFECTN FOR EACH OTHER. ALEX HALPERN LEVY, A FORMER STAFFER FOR CHUCK SCHUMER WHO NOW NS A POLIL SPEECHWRG FIRM, SCRIBED AS AN IAL THAT TRANSCENDS ANY ORIENTATN. “IT’S SORT OF LIKE GAY CAMELOT.”JOHNSON, THE CY-UNCIL SPEAKER, HAS NOT FORMALLY ENDORSED BUTTIGIEG YET, NOR HAVE OTHER POWERFUL GROUPS LIKE THE VICTORY FUND, WHICH SUPPORTS L.G.B.T.Q. NDIDAT NNG FOR OFFICE. BUT AS THE SOUTH BEND MAYOR PALIZ ON THE FLUX OF MEDIA ATTENTN AND OPENS HIS NEW HEADQUARTERS, THE EXCEMENT FOR HIS NDIDACY HAS REACHED A FEVER PCH. ON MONDAY, BUTTIGIEG ANNOUNCED THAT HE RAISED AN EYE-POPPG $7 LN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2019 OM ABOUT 150,000 DONORS—THE AVERAGE DONATN WAS JT $36.35—AND HE HASN’T EVEN FORMALLY LNCHED HIS MPAIGN. THE FASCATN SURROUNDG HIS PERSONA—A LENNIAL! A MIDWTERNER! A VETERAN! A POLICY WONK WH A GIANT BRA AND CHARISMA TO BOOT!—IS ONLY GROWG, WH THE L.G.B.T.Q. MUNY AND BEYOND.“I N’T SAY NCLIVELY WHAT THE TREND LE IS, BUT I WILL SAY FEELS CREASGLY NATNAL,” SAID LEVY. “IT ED TO BE THAT THERE WAS A GAY POLIL SCENE TO HELP OUR GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS LOLLY. I THK NOW ’S A FORCE NATNALLY.” IT’S ALSO BIG ENOUGH TO BE NOTICED THE NATNAL MEDIA. LAST MONTH, CNBC GOT A HOLD OF THE VE TO A BUTTIGIEG FUND-RAISER LEVY IS HOSTG WH BROADWAY POWER DUO RICHIE JACKSON AND JORDAN ROTH, WHICH WAS THEN FEATURED AT THE TOP OF THE DDGE REPORT. (SUGGTED DONATNS START AT $250.)NATNAL POLICS, AFTER ALL, HAVE CHANGED DRAMATILLY THE SCE 2008, WHEN THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA WAS STILL PUBLICLY AGAST GAY MARRIAGE. DURG THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTN, L.G.B.T.Q. NDIDAT WON HUNDREDS OF SEATS ON THE STATE AND NATNAL LEVEL—CLUDG EIGHT HOE RAC AND TWO SENATE RAC— WHAT ANNISE PARKER, THE PRINT AND C.E.O. OF THE VICTORY FUND, LLED THE “RABOW WAVE”. A RECENT POLL OM NBC/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SUGGTED THAT MOMENT MAY ARRIVE SOONER THAN EXPECTED: 68 PERCENT OF RPONNTS SAID THEY WOULD BE FORTABLE OR ENTHIASTIC HAVG A GAY OR LBIAN PRINT, CLUDG 75 PERCENT OF VOTERS BETWEEN 18 AND 34, AND A STUNNG 56 PERCENT OF SENR VOTERS “NOW SAY THEY HAVE NO OBJECTNS”—A HUGE SWG OM 2006, SHORTLY AFTER MASSACHETTS LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WHEN ONLY 31 PERCENT OF OLR VOTERS SAID THEY WOULD ACCEPT A GAY PRINT. “EVERYBODY I’VE TALKED TO THE L.G.T.B.Q. MUNY IS JAZZED ABOUT PETE’S RACE,” SAID PARKER, “BUT THE IMPORTANT THG IS THAT LOTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T THE L.G.T.B.Q. MUNY, EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT NECSARILY AT THIS POT SAYG THEY’RE GONNA VOTE FOR HIM, ARE SAYG, ‘WOW, HE’S A REALLY GREAT GUY. HE’S REALLY TERTG. I’M SO GLAD HE’S NNG.’”PART OF THE REASON FOR THE ENTHIASM, JOHNSON SPECULATED, IS AN ATTUDAL SHIFT THAT TOOK PLACE AFTER OBERGEFELL V. HODG, THE LANDMARK SUPREME COURT SE THAT LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. “FOLKS THE L.G.B.T. MUNY DON’T SUPPORT A NDIDATE JT BEE THEY’RE GAY,” HE SAID. “I THK DOWN MORE TO IOLOGY, MSAGE, AND THENTICY, THAT THOSE THREE THGS OVERRI INTY POLICS, A GRAVATNAL PULL THAT EXISTED THE PAST.” BUTTIGIEG’S “CROSSOVER APPEAL,” HE PREDICTED, WILL SERVE HIM WELL THE MONTHS TO E. “WE SAW [THE OTHER] NIGHT AN AIN-AMERIN LBIAN BEG MAYOR OF THE THIRD-LARGT CY AMERI,” HE SAID, REFERRG TO LORI LIGHTFOOT, NOW MAYOR-ELECT OF CHIGO. “I MEAN, THAT IS HUGE, HUGE NEWS. BUT AGA, HER NDIDACY WAS NOT FOCED OR CENTERED AROUND BEG L.G.B.T., AND SHE DIDN’T W JT BEE OF L.G.B.T. VOTERS.”BUTTIGIEG RECENTLY TABLISHED A MPAIGN HEADQUARTERS AND BEGAN A HIRG SPREE, A SURE SIGN THAT HE WILL SOON MAKE HIS NDIDACY OFFICIAL—AND, FOR PARKER, A SIGN THAT VICTORY FUND MIGHT NSIR BREAKG A LONG-STANDG NORM. “WE TRY NOT TO DO 2020 RAC 2019, BEE WE DON’T WANT TO STEP OVER THE GREAT MPAIGNS AND NDIDAT WE HAVE NOW,” SHE SAID. “BUT I’M HAVG TO HOLD BACK OUR ENDORSG BOARD A LTLE B, BEE WE’RE ALL FIRED UP ABOUT PETE’S NDIDACY. I SPECT THAT ONCE HE MEETS THE DEMOCRATS’ MIMUM [FOR THE BAT] AND FORMALLY ENTERS THE RACE, WE’LL ENDORSE HIM IMMEDIATELY, SPE OUR POLICY, BEE ’S SUCH A HISTORIC OPPORTUNY.”MORE GREAT STORI OM VANY FAIR—THE IVANKA E-MAIL BOMBSHELL— THE KEY TO UNRSTANDG THE DARK HEART OF THE MUELLER REPORT IS UNTER-TELLIGENCE— WHY SOME OF THE BIGGT NAM PUBLISHG ARE RISTG APPLE’S PULL— THE ART WORLD’S ULTIMATE GE MATCHLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HIVE NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHELON MK’S TWTER WANTED TO TELL TMP ABOUT A SEALED SEARCH WARRANT AND POTENTIALLY F--K UP JACK SMH’S CRIMAL INVTIGATNBY BS LEVTA NGUYEN

Some groups wh the Democratic aln, cludg some socially nservative black church, have shown disfort wh same-sex Buttigieg’s inty alone won’t earn him the support of gay voters. ”He was hnted for years by “the gay thg, ” he wrote later, tormented that people might fd out. Twenty-five years later, 2012, he beme the first openly gay ngrsman to wed while office when he married rpenter Jim Ready.

“It beme more and more rpectable to be gay, ” Frank said an terview, “and ls and ls rpectable to be a polician.

A Republin Natnal Commtee member om Iowa, Steve Scheffler, sent a threateng email llg Karger a “radil homosexual, ” acrdg to prs reports at the time.

PETE BUTTIGIEG IS PRIMG AMERI FOR A YOUNG, GAY PRINT, BUT PROBABLY NOT 2020

" (Vio: Jenny Starrs/The Washgton Post)In 2015, Mike Pence, then ernor of Indiana, signed the state’s Relig Freedom Rtoratn Act, which crics said legalized anti-gay discrimatn if jtified by relign.

A short time later Buttigieg, then 33, told his parents he was gay, then wrote an article the South Bend Tribune to rm his of the reactn was hostile. A neighbor started a group lled the South Bend Learship Coaln, mandg that Buttigieg disclose any other gay people his admistratn and have them expla why their sexual orientatn wouldn’t hurt their abily to the Rev. He his marriage to expla his unrstandg of why ernment matters, and argu forcefully that fah and a gay inty are not the 2020 printial electn gears up, a number of Democratic ndidat appear to be turng to their partners to rerce their mpaign msagg.

“That he’s so unembarrassed — that is a good lson for other gay and lbian people about him and his hband, ” Frank said. “I thk, ankly, he’s gettg more favorable attentn than he otherwise would have bee he’s gay.

BEG GAY HURTS MAYOR PETE. IT HELPS, TOO.

”Whether Buttigieg is risg bee he is gay or spe , and whether he should be celebrated as a symbol or viewed no differently om anyone else, pends on perspective.

From Buttigieg’s perspective, the bt evince of progrs is not that an openly gay person is nng for print, but that some wonr why anyone is talkg about his sexualy at all. “Or talkg to gay people of an olr generatn, who never uld have imaged that they would live to see batg whether ’s tertg or newsworthy that somebody like me is dog somethg like this. He’s the ialized versn of an ordary person, and the most dramatic thg about him — the fact that, if elected, he would be the first openly gay Amerin print — is at once movgly central and fantastilly cintal.

'MAYOR PETE' DIRECTOR ON WHETHER AN OUT GAY NDIDATE ULD BE ELECTED PRINT AMERI: 'WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THAT TTED'

Closeted until his early 30s (he says, only half-jokgly, that he me out so he uld fally start datg), Buttigieg went through extraordary stggl wh who he was, to the pot that he wanted to take whatever was that ma him gay and “cut out wh a knife. ” That’s nontg a polil qutn about beg gay wh an answer that’s like a Frank Capra movie 10 words. As Buttigieg explas , he felt, as a gay man, that he did not belong, and he believ — que rightly, I would say — that that’s a feelg that now f creasg numbers of Amerins.