In this week’s podcast: • Billy Porter makes history at the Emmy Awards • Arizona’s Supreme Court rules it’s fine for businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people • Democratic White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg got grumpy with the LGBTQ media • A conservative lawmaker (who opposed LGBTQ rights because Jesus) charged with possessing child pornography • Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness comes out as HIV positive All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Earlier this week, I reported on a comment by Democratic presidential contender Mayor Pete Buttigieg where he said he ‘can’t even read the LGBT media’ for coverage saying he was ‘too gay, not gay enough…’ I gave the mayor a break assuming he somehow misspoke. The vast majority of coverage by the actual LGBTQ media has been very supportive of Buttigieg and his candidacy. The articles that HAVE been negative about the mayor centering on his sexuality have been in non-LGBTQ outlets like Slate, The Outline, and the terrible piece by gay author Dale Peck that was yanked offline very quickly. While all that going on this week, I assumed it would come up at last night’s LGBTQ Forum in Iowa sponsored by GLAAD. Buttigieg was questioned by The Advocate’s editor in chief Zach Stafford at the event, but he didn’t address the issue. It turns out Buttigieg was asked that question in an interview for AM2DM by BuzzFeed News which Stafford co-hosts. Stafford tweeted out his explanation and the video clip today. “You said in an interview that you ‘can’t even read LGBT media anymore because it’s all he’s too gay, not gay enough, wrong kind of gay’” show co-host Alex Berg said in a clip posted to Twitter today. “And Out Magazine editor-in-chief Phillip Picardi tweeted this question: When LGBTQ+ journalism is dwindling despite our rights being threatened at higher rates, why come for queer media?” “I appreciate the question and the chance to clear this up,” said Buttigieg. “Just to be clear: LGBTQ media plays an increasingly important role, especially at a time like this.” “I had a grumpy moment where I was thinking abo, t some of the coverage that I do get frustrated with that seems to tell people how to be gay,” he continued. “And that’s, to be fair, happening in a lot of different sources and places online and it’s one reason why, as a candidate, it’s healthy just not to read too many clips about yourself to begin with.” He concluded saying, “But I don’t want to take away from the very important work that’s being done in the queer media right now.”
I know some people were wondering why Pete wasn’t asked about queer media comments on stage.
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Can we talk about the massive thighs (above) of hottie Dan Tai? That represents a whole lotta leg days… #dang • ESPN: Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy pens a personal essay explaining how he landed his new role on American Horror Story: 1984, and how quickly he felt the LGBTQ community was quick to ‘cut him down.’ • Twitter: Looking fabulous at 50, Jennifer Lopez closed out the Versace Spring 2020 show in Milan in a reimagined version of her iconic 2000 Grammy dress. #YouBettaWalk
Jennifer Lopez just closed the Versace Spring 2020 show in Milan in a reimagined version of her iconic 2000 Grammy dress. pic.twitter.com/aoX2XFlHdz
• Medium: Democratic presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg shares his thoughts as a gay military veteran on the 8th anniversary of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.’ • Media Matters: Anti-LGBTQ lawyer Kristen Waggoner told Fox News that policies protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination are bad for business. In reality, more than 160 leading businesses support federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, and the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies have inclusive policies. • Washington Post: Making an apparent reference to transgender women, HUD Secretary Ben Carson expressed concern about “big, hairy men” trying to stay in women’s homeless shelters during an internal meeting. Carson also lamented that society no longer seemed to know the difference between men and women, two of the agency staffers said. • New Music: “Memories” marks the first new music from three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning band Maroon 5 since the release of their global anthem “Girls Like You” in 2017. Singer and songwriter Adam Levine said about the new track: “In an ever-increasingly crazy world, let’s just carve out one moment to think of those we love and share the memories of the ones we’ve lost.”
In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s Urban View, Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg discussed a range of topics including the mayor’s work to earn the support of the African-American community. Pivoting from that subject, host Clay Cane shared that when he had discussed Buttigieg’s candidacy with his straight friends, the majority indicated they could vote for a gay man for president – “A gay man could win.” But Cane added that when he broached the subject of a gay man winning the White House to his LGBT friends, the response was, according to Cane, “There’s no way a gay man could win.” Buttigieg responded by pointing to his 80% win in his race for a second term as mayor of South Bend after coming out in a fairly conservative state. Cane then asked, “How different do you think your candidacy would be if you were more effeminate?” “I’m sure you’ve heard this before in LGBT circles that more masculine-presenting men have more access?” continued Cane. “How different would it be if you were quote-unquote, “more effeminate?” Buttigieg, a two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a military veteran had the right answer. “It’s tough for me to know, right?” he began. “‘Cause I just am what I am, and, you know, there’s going to be a lot of that. That’s why I can’t even read the LGBT media anymore, because it’s all: ‘Too gay, not gay enough, wrong kind of gay.’” “All I know is that life became a lot easier when I just started allowing myself to be myself and I’ll let other people write up whether I’m ‘too this’ or ‘too that.’”
Some in the LGBTQ media space have gotten their nose out of joint thinking Buttigieg was taking a swipe directly at them. Having listened to the entire interview, that’s not what I understood Mayor Pete to be saying. Cane introduced the question of doubt by the LGBT community with his comment about LGBT friends who can’t imagine a gay man winning the presidency. He then pivoted to the ‘effeminate’ talking point sourcing the issue from ‘LGBT circles.’ As someone who writes in the LGBTQ media space every day, I can’t recall reading an LGBTQ outlet criticizing Buttigieg as “too gay” or “not gay enough.” There have been gay writers in non-LGBTQ outlets, like the hatchet job by gay author Dale Peck for The New Republic, which was so twisted and controversial it was deletedfrom the website in a day. There were also pieces written over at Slate and Vice which take Buttigieg to task for his ‘gayness.’ But those outlets are not LGBTQ media. Of course, I’m already seeing comments on social media saying ‘the LGBT media should stop attacking Mayor Pete.’ I asked a few of those folks for an example of the LGBT media calling Pete ‘not gay enough,’ and each time they referenced the Dale Peck piece, which as mentioned, was not on an LGBT media outlet. I’m of a mind to believe that Buttigieg misspoke, as a politician can do during an interview, when he used the phrase ‘LGBT media.’ I’ve reached out to the Buttigieg campaign for clarification on the kerfuffle.
As the first openly gay Democratic candidate with a credible chance at winning the White House, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has already made a historic mark on the 2020 presidential election cycle. But at the close of the third Democratic debate last night, all ten candidates onstage were asked to relate a story of resilience from their lives. In a moment that was as poignant as it was personal, the 37-year-old shared his own coming out story.
As a military officer service under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and as an elected official in the state of Indiana when Mike Pence was governor, at a certain point, when it came to professional setbacks, I had to wonder whether just acknowledging who I was was going to be the ultimate career-ending professional setback.
I came back from the deployment and realized you only get to live one life. I was not interested in not knowing what it was like to be in love any longer.
So I just came out.
I had no idea what kind of professional setback it would be, especially because, inconveniently, it was an election year in my socially conservative community.
What happened was that when I trusted voters to judge me based on the job that I did for them, they decided to trust me, and reelected me with 80% of the vote.
What I learned was that trust can be reciprocated and that part of how you can win – and deserve to win – is to know what’s worth more to you than winning. And I think what’s what we need in the presidency right now: we have to know what we are about.
And this election is not about any of us up here. It is not about this president, even though it’s hard to talk of anything else some days.
It’s about the people who trust us with their lives; the kid wondering if we’re actually going to make their school safer when they’ve learned active shooter drills before they’ve learned to read; a generation wondering if we will actually get the job done on climate change.
And if we hold to that, then it doesn’t matter what happens to each of us professionally. Together, we will win a better era for our country.
Trust can be reciprocated. Part of winning is knowing what’s worth more to you than winning—and that’s what we need in the presidency right now. #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/Bg9nmob1uH
While it’s not news that Buttigieg came out during his campaign for a second term as mayor, what IS news is for an openly gay presidential candidate to relate his own coming out journey to millions while standing shoulder to shoulder with his peers. Many in the Twitterverse, from LGBTQ advocates to gay veterans, acknowledged the importance of the moment:
Pete Buttigieg says that coming out as gay & “acknowledging who I was” could’ve been the most career-ending professional setback.
Thank you, @PeteButtigieg for your bravery, and for showing LGBTQ youth across the country what is possible when you live authentically. #DemDebate
Pete Buttigieg made history with his coming out story on the presidential debate stage: "I was not interested in not knowing what it was like to be in love any longer." #DemocraticDebatehttps://t.co/6Mxb85lZu6 via @HuffPostPol
I never thought I’d be so moved by a political candidate. Pete Buttigieg has already changed my life, no matter what happens next. https://t.co/YD843Xt5ER
i've heard him tell his story probably 5x now and the impact of it is not diminished in any rehearing of it. I say that a straight person, I can't imagine what it must be like for LGBTQ folks to see & hear him tell it, especially on a presidential debate stage.
As a fellow gay veteran, I also had to worry if being true to myself would end my career and stunt my opportunities. Like @PeteButtigieg, I learned to trust myself, I learned others would trust me, and I learned to succeed not in spite of my sexual orientation, but because of it.
Just 16 years ago, a number of states still criminalized same-sex intimacy. Mayor Pete's candidacy should not be taken for granted or discounted, because it is historic. https://t.co/ipqhyp4FTX
Pete Buttigieg talking about his coming out as a gay man on the #DemDebate stage for President of the United States is a historic moment for all minorities. This would have been unfathomable just a few years ago 🌈
Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released his first campaign ad with a substantial $210,000 media buy in Iowa where the first votes of the 2020 election cycle will be cast. The ad, titled ‘The Only Way,’ focuses on Buttigieg’s experience as a mayor and military veteran. “As a veteran and as a mayor, I’ve seen what we can achieve when we have each other’s backs,” begins the 30-second spot. “But in today’s divided America, we’re at each others throats.” “Our rivers and oceans are rising. Health care costs are soaring, and our kids are learning active shooter drills before they learn to read,” Buttigieg says speaking to the camera. “To meet these challenges and to defeat this president, we need real solutions, not more polarization.”
The Buttigieg campaign has also recently opened 20 field offices in Iowa and hired an additional 30 staffers in the Hawkeye state, according to Politico. The spending comes after Buttigieg raised more than any other Democratic White House candidate last quarter raking in over $24 million. The aggressive moves will enthuse Mayor Pete’s supporters and will hopefully move him up in the polls. Despite positive debate reviews and much interest in the mainstream media, the 37-year-old is consistently ranked 5th in most national polling. RealClearPolitics currently shows Buttigieg averaging about 4.4%. In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, the South Bend Mayor explained how he plans to make inroads among the Democratic candidates as the field narrows: “Now that it’s starting to winnow down, people are starting to look for the contrasts. And it will be important for me to convey how I’m different from the others. I like the others, I appreciate the others, I admire the others but I’m not like the others. It’s not just a matter of style, it’s also a matter of approach.” “It’s why I’m not making the same promises that some of the candidates to my left are. I share the goals and believe that we can do it in a way that will bring Americans together.”
Mayor Pete shows big-time staying power as he tops the Democratic candidates for president in terms of NY fundraising. From the New York Post:
Pete Buttigieg has tapped into the New York fundraising scene better than any other 2020 Democratic candidate — and he’ll be back this Labor Day weekend to rake in more big bucks.
The South Bend, Indiana, mayor already brought in $3.7 million from New York state — including $2.9 million just from New York City, according to donor data provided by the Center for Public Integrity and analyzed by The Post.
He bests all other Democratic White House hopefuls in the Big Apple — by a landslide — including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who raised $885,000 in New York with $658,000 coming from NYC; New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who brought in $2.3 million statewide with $1.6 million from NYC residents before dropping out Wednesday; and former Vice President Joe Biden ($2.5 million/$1.6 million from NYC), who has the powerful endorsement of New York’s well-connected Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg told attendees at a labor union forum in Las Vegas Saturday that the United States is “under attack” by white nationalists carrying out deadly mass shootings across the country, and those white nationalists have become emboldened by Donald Trump.
Buttigieg was speaking at a forum in Las Vegas sponsored by the public-sector labor union AFSCME.
News of the recent mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart broke during the event.
Eschewing his prepared introductory remarks, Buttigieg addressed the tragedy head-on.
“America is under attack from homegrown white nationalist terrorism,” Buttigieg said in his opening remarks. “White nationalism is evil. And it is inspiring people to commit murder, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the American government, and that has to end.”
When asked his thoughts on Trump’s position on white nationalists, Buttigieg said the president “at best condones and encourages white nationalism.”
A post shared by Pete Buttigieg (@pete.buttigieg) on Aug 3, 2019 at 5:41pm PDT
Buttigieg also called for stricter gun control laws across the country.
“We are the only country in the world with more guns than people,” said the 37-year-old White House contender. “It has not made us safer. We can respect the Second Amendment (on gun rights), and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans.”
Among several policies he shared that would help stem the tide of gun violence were:
• Implementing universal background checks for firearm purchases
• Banning the sale of high capacity magazines
• Allowing the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence
• Passing “red flag” laws that remove firearms from at-risk people, such as those convicted of domestic violence
Buttigieg also said there should be stricter regulations for military-style firearms often used in mass shootings.
“Weapons of war have no place in American neighborhoods,” said the Afghanistan war veteran.
Buttigieg addressed the lack of leadership on gun violence by the president today.
“Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want?”
Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want? pic.twitter.com/GEVLkLuWei
Taking questions from voters in Ankeny, Iowa, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked how unemployment would play out during the presidential election:
“Yeah, the president’s going to say unemployment is low, & it is. Of course, under the Obama admin, we went from like 12 to 5, and then he sees it go from 5 to 4, and he’s like the rooster, thinks he made sun come up.”
The mayor was also asked “Wine, or beer, or fireball?,” which got some applause from the crowd.
Pausing for second, Buttituge said, “Well in six months we might be into fireball territory, but right now, just beer, just beer for now.”
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg did an interview with a country music radio show, but the radio network refused to air the interview. Link to Blair Garner’s interview here.
• Pop star Ricky Martin has joined hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans in protests calling for the resignation of the island territory’s governor
• Organizers of the upcoming Straight Pride Parade got more cease and desist letters after illegally insinuating major corporations were sponsors
• Oscar-winning queer-themed film, Moonlight, was named the best film of the 2010 decade by Indiewire.
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
In this week’s podcast: • Billy Porter makes history at the Emmy Awards • Arizona’s Supreme Court rules it’s fine for businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people • Democratic White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg got grumpy with the LGBTQ media • A conservative lawmaker (who opposed LGBTQ rights because Jesus) charged with possessing child pornography • Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness comes out as HIV positive All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report 
Some news items you might have missed: • 
Many in the Twitterverse, from LGBTQ advocates to gay veterans, acknowledged the importance of the moment: 
Mayor Pete shows big-time staying power as he tops the Democratic candidates for president in terms of NY fundraising. From the 
