Buttigieg's presidential run has a positive effect on LGBTQ children

The LGBTQ community shouldn't forget the positive effect Buttigieg's presidential run could have on our children.

In 2008 while America celebrated the historical fact of a black man winning the office of president, the LGBTQ community was sadly reminded that the road to equality can still be rocky as the largest state in the nation, California, voted against marriage equality. It was an upset brought about mostly by how opponents of marriage equality scared voters with lies concerning what it could to children. That's why a recent event which happened with openly gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg should be seen as monumental in itself.

From Instinct:

While Buttigieg was campaigning in Colorado this Saturday, the presidential candidate was approached by a nine-year-old boy, according to Bloomberg News. The young Buttigieg supporter, named Zachary Ro, then asked Pete an adorable and meaningful question. 

“Would you help me tell the world I’m gay too,” the boy wrote in a pre-submitted question to Buttigieg. “I want to be brave like you." 

Buttigieg, who is openly gay and married to junior high school teacher Chasten Buttigieg, shared that he was already impressed with the Ro’s courage. Buttigieg didn’t come out as gay until he’d reached his 30s in 2015. At the time, he was serving his first term as mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The mayor then got engaged to Chasten in 2017. 

“Well, I don’t think you need a lot of advice from me,” Buttigieg told Zachary. “You seem pretty strong to me. It took me a long time to figure out how to tell even my best friend that I was gay.”

To me, this is no different than little black boys and girls meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Scratch that. It is different probably because of one thing.  I doubt that many African-American adults, while noting the moment, took up precious time detailing what they disliked about the Obamas or how they aren't working for black people.

The point is not to criticize folks in the LGBTQ community who have raised concerns about him, whether legitimate or not. I am only saying that some of us in the community have failed to notice one of the most wonderful things about his presidential run because we are so damned determined to "look woke." And that thing is how his visibility has a positive effect on LGBTQ children.

 I understand what some of you are saying. There are things about Buttigieg you don't like. You are concerned about his youth, his experience or possible lack thereof, his credibility, or his commitment. These are legitimate concerns. But the one thing we need not argue about what it looks like to our kids. I'm not even going to get into the nonsense about whether or not he is the "right kind of gay person" because he is a white male with "privilege" or how long he stayed closeted, or how he doesn't typify the so-called mindset that some activists in the community embrace and - on some levels - seek to overwhelm the rest of us with.

More often than not, an LGBTQ child who is in the closet and/or scared about the homophobia of his or her surroundings aren't concerned about these things. They simply don't want to be scared and they don't want to be alone. They don't want to feel that they have no future or that the goals they want to reach will be impossible to attain because of their sexual orientation or assigned gender.

By simply being open and unashamed, Buttigieg has the ability to give them hope and that hope fills them with hunger and drive. This sows the seeds for a future in which many Buttigiegs exist in different corners and backgrounds in our community to either run for office or maybe end doing other fruitful and positive things. And not just for the LGBTQ community, but the world in general.

Let's not be so eager to look "woke" that we stay asleep to that worthwhile fact.