Tag: Pete Buttigieg

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History Made As Buttigieg Begins Transportation Secretary Confirmation

Pete Buttigieg

Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg
Pete Buttigieg during his Senate confirmation hearing
In a moment of quiet history making, Pete Buttigieg – the first out gay nominee for a Cabinet secretary position – began his confirmation hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee by thanking his husband for his support. “I’d like to take a moment to introduce my husband Chasten Buttigieg, who is here with me today,” said the Transportation Secretary nominee with Chasten sitting nearby. “I’m really proud to have him by my side.” “I also want to take this chance to thank him for his many sacrifices and his support in making it possible for me to pursue public service.” Many on social media noted how seeing a gay Cabinet nominee introduce his husband would have meant a lot to them growing up. By the way – for those wondering, Buttigieg’s committee appearance went VERY well. #Forward

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News Round-Up: January 15, 2021

Chippendales calendar

Chippendales calendar Some news items you might have missed: • Chippendales: It’s a new year which means it’s time for a new calendar. This year’s edition of the iconic Chippendales calendar (above) is an all-star affair packed with fan favorites. • NBC News: The Arizona Republican Party will vote on a measure to censure Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain, on January 23, in part because of her support for President-elect Joe Biden and for same-sex marriage. • The Hill: Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation hearing for the role of Transportation secretary will be held Thursday. If he’s approved, Buttigieg will be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary to be confirmed by the Senate.  

• BosGuy: The veteran Boston blogger celebrates Furry Friday and we’re all the better for it 🙂 • New York Times: Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out the weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s issue of MetroWeekly (below). Cover of MetroWeekly Magazine • People: In a new interview, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson does not hold back saying Donald Trump is “grossly limited in his ‘understanding of global events, his understanding of global history’ and hamstrung by his own attention span.” • Arkansas Online: Peter Francis Stager, 41, caught on video using an American flag and flagpole to beat a police officer during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot was arrested by federal authorities Thursday night. Remember, these are the folks who were upset at people taking a knee during a football game.  

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News Round-Up: January 2, 2021

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness with new husband Mark

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness with new husband Mark
Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness and husband Mark Peacock (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Deadline: Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race will feature several A-list guest judges including Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Byer, Loni Love, TS Madison, and Jamal Sims. • Boy Culture: Taylor Dayne is getting dragged for pretending to be apolitical after she appeared at Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Click over to KIT212’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like Attitude Magazine naming out presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg as their ‘Person of the Year.’
Pete Buttigieg covers Attitude Magazine as their 'Person of the Year'
(image via Attitude Magazine)
• CNN: A federal judge has shitcanned Rep. Louie Gohmert’s ridiculous lawsuit to compel Vice President Mike Pence to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election. • New York Post: The “Soho Karen” who accused the 14-year-old son of jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold of swiping her iPhone in a hotel (turned out she left it in an Uber) has been identified. Apparently, she also had two brushes with the law last year — one for public intoxication and another for drunken driving, according to a report. • Men’s Variety: Breaking down the reasons why you shouldn’t be worried about the coronavirus vaccine. • NewNowNext: Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness secretly got married last summer. Congratulations to the happy couple!

 

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History: Buttigieg Could Be 1st Openly Gay Cabinet Member

L-R Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg
Reuters reports President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Pete Buttigieg to serve as Secretary of Transportation in the upcoming administration. In choosing Buttigieg, Biden would be nominating the first openly gay man to a Cabinet position. If confirmed, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would become the first LGBTQ Cabinet secretary to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

A rising star in the Democratic Party, in 2020 Buttigieg won the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses becoming the first openly gay candidate of a major political party to win delegates in a White House bid. But when he saw no path to winning the Democratic nomination, Buttigieg ended his campaign and became a vociferous campaigner for Biden. During a March campaign event, Biden spoke warmly of Mayor Pete and compared him to his late son, Beau Biden. “I know that may not mean much to most people, but to me it’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman,” said Biden at the time.

 

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Before the 2020 election cycle, Buttigieg served two terms as the mayor of South Bend since 2012. While in office, Buttigieg deployed to Afghanistan as an intelligence officer in 2014. Earlier reports indicated the 38-year-old had been under consideration for several prominent posts in the Biden administration including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Commerce Secretary and U.S. ambassador to China. The transportation job, though, would seem to be a good fit for the Rhodes Scholar who displayed a strong knack forwonkish facts and figures during the 2020 campaign. If confirmed, Buttigieg would oversee nearly 55,000 employees and a $90 billion budget for a department that oversees the funding of highways, transit systems, air traffic control and more.

Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement regarding Buttigieg’s nomination, “His voice as a champion for the LGBTQ community in the Cabinet room will help President-elect Biden build back our nation better, stronger and more equal than before.”

Biden campaigned on promises of new infrastructure projects like building new highways and bridges as good for the country and a way to create good paying jobs while balancing the impact on the environment.

 

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Pete Buttigieg May Be Named US Ambassador To China

L-R Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg
Multiple sources are reporting former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg may be tapped to serve in the Biden administration as U.S. Ambassador to China. From Axios:

Why it matters: The 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, whom Biden has compared to his late son, Beau, played a key role in Biden’s nomination. Letting him deepen his foreign policy chops could boost Buttigieg’s future, since many inside the Democratic Party believe his return as a presidential candidate is a matter of when, not if.

Buttigieg electrified donors and rocketed to the top of the party, winning the most delegates in the Iowa caucuses earlier this year before dropping out to consolidate moderates’ support around Biden.

But finding a Cabinet position for him has been a challenge as the former VP focuses on nominating women and people of color to high-level posts.

China isn’t the only foreign post where Buttigieg, a polyglot, could end up — and his name remains under discussion for some domestic leadership positions as well.

Axios goes on to note that the China ambassadorship is general a post given to politicians in the mid-to-late point of their careers as an indication of respect to China. If confirmed for the spot, Buttigieg would only be 39-years-old. Mayor Pete is very smart, and has a broad perspective on foreign affairs. But, as a fan, my concern is that the China post would take him out of the public eye here in the U.S. According to Axios, Buttigieg apparently was hoping to be ambassador to the United Nations which sounds like the perfect spot for him. Others think it’s a good move for Mayor Pete.

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Pete Buttigieg Shares How Attending A Baseball Game Changed His Life

L-R James Corden, Pete Buttigieg (image via The Late Late Show)
One of the things to come out of this election cycle that I’ll long appreciate is the emergence of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg onto the national stage. Over the past year and a half, Buttigieg demonstrated how a mayor of a mid-sized city can show up and go toe-to-toe with not only experienced political candidates but also the press (Fox News, I’m looking at you). Last night, Mayor Pete made an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden where he addressed the state of the election cycle (“It’s all going to come down to getting out the vote”) but also offered a positive view on the resiliency of the American people. “We have to find a way to get through this,” said Buttigieg. “This is a country that has been through pandemics, it has been through wars; at one point, half the country broke off and declared war against the other half. And this country still stands. We have got to find a way through this and I believe that starts with electing new leadership.” “Now, we’re also the generation that could blow it,” he added. “That’s part of the reason this election is so high stakes. But if we get it right in the next few years, the 2020s could go down in history as the time America stood up and turned in a better direction. And by the middle of this century could be delivering to humanity something as important as the founding of America itself. I really believe that – if we do the work, and that’s why we’re doing the work.”

And in another segment called “Late Late Show And Tell,” Corden asked Mayor Pete to share something from his home that the general public wouldn’t generally get to see. Buttigieg revealed a red baseball he received on the night of his first date with now-husband Chasten. The couple had attended a baseball game, and the souvenirs were a give-away at the game that night. Later in the date, the couple held hands for the first time. “That moment we held hands was one of the best moments of my life,” shared Buttigieg. “I keep this baseball around because they were giving them out that night. It’s just a reminder of how any given night can change the rest of your life.” At a time when so many politicians and elected officials give us much to be cynical about, I find Buttigieg continually serves up reasons to look for the good in those in public service.

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Jack Black & Company ‘Rock-y The Vote’

L-R Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Jack Black, Pete Buttigieg (screen captures)
It’s astounding… time is fleeting… and the 2020 election is here. Jack Black teams up with Tenacious D and several guest stars to “Rock-y the vote!” The music video is part of the Rock The Vote campaign that encourages young people to participate in elections. Black and D throwdown this raucous take on the Rocky Horror Picture Show number “Time Warp” that encourages voters to make a “jump to the left” (and not a step to the right).

Joining in are former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, George Takei, John Waters, Susan Sarandon (the original film’s ‘Janet’), Sarah Silverman, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a host of other celebs who want to make sure you VOTE!

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Pete Buttigieg On Trump Refusing Virtual Debate: ‘Probably A Reflection Of Weakness Of His Campaign’

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Fox News (screen capture)
Donald Trump announced that he wouldn’t “waste his time” on the upcoming October 15 presidential debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates determined it would be handled in a virtual manner due to Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Fox News invited former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg to discuss Trump’s refusal to debate. Buttigieg told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, “Well, it’s too bad, I don’t know why the president’s afraid to participate in a debate.” “All of us have had to get used to a virtual format. Parents are having to deal with e-learning, which is not what we’re used to,” continued Buttigieg. “We’re having to take meetings over Zoom. It’s not something I think most of us enjoy, but it’s a safety measure.” “I think part of why the US is badly behind the rest of the developed world on dealing with the pandemic is because every time there’s been a choice between doing something in a way that’s more safe or less safe, this president seems to push for less safe.” “I think it’s also probably a reflection of the weakness of his campaign… and it’s too bad because I think the more the American people can hear two candidates side by side, even if it’s virtual, the better,” he added. “Of course, the only reason we’re here in the first place is that the president of the United States is still contagious with a deadly disease.” #BAM

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News Round-Up: October 8, 2020

LGBTQ ally and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen
Some news items you might have missed: • Calendar Season: LGBTQ ally and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen (above) announces his 2021 calendar is available for shipping by October 30. #WeLoveBenCohen #Woof • The Advocate: Monica Roberts, the transgender activist and blogger who founded TransGriot 15 years ago, has died. She was honored with special recognition award for her blog at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards and named one of The Advocate’s 2020 Women of the Year in May. • Pink News: CNN’s Anderson Cooper condemned Trump’s “recklessness” while carrying a deadly disease (coronavirus) while pointing out that HIV positive people can be jailed for the same offense. • Instinct Magazine: How do you show up for Black Lives? By actually showing up where they are and getting to know them. • Forbes: Democrats raised $15 million in just over 12 hours after the start of Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate—a sign that Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-Calif.) performance against Vice President Mike Pence resonated with at least some viewers. • Fox News: Take a few seconds to take in the epic clap back from former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he dropped by Fox News prior to last night’s veep debate. The hosts tried to score a dig at Sen. Kamala Harris and Buttigieg didn’t hesitate to throw shade with a straight face. Watch below.