+
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM UPWORTHY
We are a small, independent media company on a mission to share the best of humanity with the world.
If you think the work we do matters, pre-ordering a copy of our first book would make a huge difference in helping us succeed.
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

pete buttigieg

Identity

Chasten Buttigieg shared what marriage equality looks like after the Senate voted to protect it

The Respect for Marriage act would codify same-sex and interracial marriage into law.

via Pete for America/Flickr

Chasten and Pete Buttigieg.

In a landmark, bipartisan 61 to 36 vote, the Senate approved the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday setting the stage for same-sex and interracial marriage to remain legal, even if they are struck down by the Supreme Court. It’s believed that the bill will be quickly passed by the House and signed into law by President Biden.

Even though same-sex and interracial marriages are legal in the U.S., after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade last summer, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas noted that the decision that legalized gay marriage rests on the same principles that underscored Roe.

This signal by the conservative justice pushed Democrats to quickly work to codify same-sex and interracial marriage into law.

If the Respect for Marriage Act becomes law it would require all states and the federal government to recognize legally-conducted marriages. Therefore, if the decisions that legalized same-sex and interracial marriages were overturned, states still would have to recognize all marriages conducted in the U.S.

So, if Kentucky made same-sex marriage illegal and a same-sex couple got married in another state where it was legal, say California, Kentucky would still have to recognize the marriage. The only barrier a couple would face to getting married would be traveling to another state to have their wedding performed.

Republicans added a religious consideration to the Respect for Marriage Act that protects nonprofit and religious organizations from having to provide support for same-sex marriages.

After this historic vote, Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, shared a Twitter thread where he showed what the Senate moved to protect. “This morning, after dropping the kids off, I came home and stopped to take in the aftermath of a chaotic morning. And it got me thinking. This is what marriage is to me,” Chasten wrote.

Last year, Pete and Chasten became the parents of a son and a daughter.

Chasten’s post is poignant because it shows how all marriages, regardless of the sex of those involved, look the same. Especially after having kids. It’s constant domestic chaos, punctuated by quick outbursts of fun all tied together by love.

For those who oppose same-sex marriage, all they have to do is spend a morning in the Buttigieg household and they can see that it’s not much different than any straight marriage.

Chasten even invited members of Congress to come and visit his home to see for themselves.

“And if a member of congress is confused, or has questions and wants to turn down the noise from the online rhetoric—our playroom is always open, should you want to meet a family who is just trying their best to make their kids happy and their country better, just like you,” Chasten wrote on Twitter.

By colifying same-sex marriage into law, Congress won’t be doing anything revolutionary. It’d simply be solidifying rights that 71% of Americans think same-sex couples should have. Signing the act into law would also go a long way toward settling an issue that has been a point of contention for a generation.

“I hope that we can move on from these votes, these arguments, and these debates soon,” Chasten wrote on Twitter. “I hope that our friends on the other side of the aisle will listen to over 70% of Americans and vote to protect families like mine and the unions that make us all better Americans.”


From Your Site Articles
lgbtq
Democracy

Pete Buttigieg perfectly explains why the new 'Don't Say Gay' bill is a bad idea

via Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Republican lawmakers in Florida are pushing a bill that would restrict how teachers are allowed to discuss gender and sexuality in kindergarten through fifth grades. Officially known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, it has been dubbed the “Don't Say Gay” bill by its opponents.

The bill recently passed a Florida House committee vote and cleared the state's Senate Education Committee this week.

Under the House bill, Florida school districts "may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students."

It could also encourage parents to sue schools if they feel that gender or sexuality has been discussed inappropriately.

The bill’s vague warning doesn’t define what "age-appropriate" and "developmentally appropriate” mean, leading some to believe it would shut down discussion of those matters altogether. If passed, teachers would be rightfully scared to broach the topics for fear of bringing a lawsuit upon their district.

Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis hasn’t specifically said if he’d sign the bill but has signaled his support. "We've seen instances of students being told by different folks in school, 'Oh, don't worry, don't pick your gender yet, do all this other stuff.' They won't tell the parents about these discussions that are happening. That is entirely inappropriate," DeSantis said.

"The larger issue with all of this is parents must have a seat at the table when it comes to what's going on in their schools," he added.

Obviously, children should be taught about gender sexuality in ways that are age-appropriate, but that should be across the board, regardless of whether someone is gay, straight, nonbinary or transgender.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay official to lead a department within the federal government, gave a clear and level-headed explanation on CNN on why the bill is so dangerous to the LGBTQ community.

Buttigieg said the bill was “absolutely” dangerous. “And the reason is that it tells youth who are different or whose families are different that there's something wrong with them out of the gate,” Buttigieg told CNN. “And I do think that contributes to the shocking levels of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth.”

In a tweet, Buttigieg's husband, Chasten, referenced a Trevor Project survey that found alarming rates of suicidal thoughts among LGBTQ youth.

In the CNN interview, Buttigieg used an example from his own life to show how the bill would hurt LGBT families. He and his husband recently adopted twins.

“Chasten, my husband, pointed out that, you know, if our kids someday, some Monday morning come into class and you know, kids are sitting around, the teacher's got the morning circle talking about how everybody's weekends went, and one of them says, ‘I had the best weekend with my dads’,” Buttigieg explained.

“Is a teacher supposed to say, ‘No, we don't talk about that here’? You know, if it's at any age where it's appropriate to talk about, you know, a kid's mom and dad, then it should be appropriate to talk about a kid's mom and mom, or dad and dad—or whatever family structures we live with," he added. “That's part of what it means to be pro-family, is to be pro-every family.”

The Buttigiegs are right. You can’t just make laws that ban people from talking about their everyday lives. LGBTQ people are everywhere and are important parts of the lives of the children in our schools, whether they are teachers, parents or family members. It’s not only bigoted but just plain ridiculous to try to erase them from our communities.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
lgbtq
Culture

Chasten Buttigieg reacts to Rush Limbaugh's death by throwing some perfectly polite shade

via Pete for America / Flickr

Conservative radio provocateur Rush Limbaugh, 70, died yesterday after complications from lung cancer. The popular radio show host helped define the Republican Party in the '80s and '90s while leaving a legacy blemished by extreme intolerance.

One group that was often pilloried by Limbaugh was the LGBT community. In the 1980s, he had a segment on his show called "AIDS Update" where he mocked gay and bisexual men who died of AIDS. During the height of the AIDS epidemic, he claimed that "Gays deserved their fate."

As America became more accepting of the LGBT community, Limbaugh did not. In 2020, he lambasted former Democratic presidential candidate and current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for kissing his husband, Chasten, from a debate stage.


"Okay, how's this going to look, 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband onstage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What's going to happen there?'" Limbaugh asked. "They've got to be saying that despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness, and despite all the great ground that's been covered, America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president."

"There may be some Democrats who think that's exactly what we need to do, Rush," he said. "Get a gay guy kissing his husband on stage, ram it down Trump's throat, and beat him in the general election. Really. Having fun envisioning that."

Limbaugh went on to say that Donald Trump would "have fun" facing off against a candidate who "kissed his husband on the debate stage."

Pete Buttigieg adeptly responded to Limbaugh's comments by pointing out his relationship history.

"Well, I love my husband. I'm faithful to my husband. Onstage, we usually just go for a hug, but I love him very much," Pete Buttigieg said. "And I'm not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh."

Limbaugh was married four times, three of them ending in divorce.

Donald Trump wouldn't even entertain Limbaugh's comments. When asked if the country was ready for a gay couple in the White House he said, "I think so. I think there would be some that wouldn't. I wouldn't be among that group, to be honest with you."

Then-presidential-candidate Joe Biden supported the Buttigiegs in the controversy. "I mean, my God," Biden said, calling it "part of the depravity of this administration."

After the news of Limbaugh's passing was made public, Chasten Buttigieg threw some polite, but pointed, shade at the radio host who mocked his marriage. He posted a picture of himself and Pete kissing, without a comment.

It's tasteless to dunk on someone in the wake of their passing, but Chasten's tasteful post was a way of showing that no matter how hard Limbaugh tried to disenfranchise and mock the LGBT community, their love still stands.

Chasten's post was a demonstration of the power of love in the face of hate.

via Pete for America / Flickr






From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
pete buttigieg
Democracy

Pete Buttigieg explained why he keeps going on Fox News and it's just so wholesome

The View/Twitter

If you've been online much the past few weeks, you may have seen a bunch of viral clips of Pete Puttigieg on Fox News. The former mayor and Democratic primary candidate has become a regular fixture on the conservative-leaning media outlet, gaining quite the reputation for his bold eloquence and laser-sharp responses.

There's no question why Fox News keeps having him back—theviral clips that Buttigieg keeps producing are ratings gold for them. But why does Mayor Pete keep agreeing to step into hostile territory?

Ana Navarro spoke to Buttigieg on The View and pointed out his willingness to make appearances in places where Democrats aren't heard from much, including Fox News. "You never waver from your calm delivery of the facts," Navarro pointed out. "Why do you keep going on there and how do you stay so unflappable?"

"So here's the way I think of it. Most of the viewers of Fox News don't agree with me politically, and definitely the people kind of controlling the content on that network, in my view, aren't always being fair," said Buttigieg. "But I also know this. I can't blame somebody for not supporting my perspective if they've literally never heard it. So it's my job to get that view in front of viewers who are tuning in in good faith."

Turning to the light in all this darkness, Buttigieg added, "One of the good things coming out of our very troubled political moment, is that I think a lot of people are questioning old habits, including a lot of Republicans who are saying, 'Okay, I've voted Republican all my life, but this is not what I had in mind.' And now that we have this moment, this president, who has really offended conservative values as well as progressive values—really American values. I think that gives us a moment to build a different kind of coalition."

Whoa Pete. You mean we don't have to put everyone into two very distinct boxes that oppose one another no matter what and call one another evil? Where did you come up with such a notion?

He went on to describe how jazzed he is about the idea of getting people from across the political spectrum "on the same page" on big issues that impact us all.

"And I'm so excited about what could happen if we get some Republicans alongside independents and progressives and moderates in my own party and get us on the same page about some things," he said. "the big issues, whether we're talking about the climate or racial justice—certainly something like the pandemic. You know, the pandemic doesn't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. The virus isn't going to check your party registration. It is a threat to all of us, so we've got to build some common ground here. And to me, finding common ground doesn't mean watering down your values or pretending to be something that you're not. It just means taking other people seriously and sharing why you care so much."

Seriously, I'm not sure if we even deserve Pete Buttigieg right now. But in a political climate marked by alternative facts and toxic partisanship, it's refreshing to have someone who is not only willing to engage with people who disagree with him, but serves as an example of how to do so.

Thanks, Mayor Pete.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
politics
Trending Stories