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South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg Comes Out As Gay In Powerful Essay
Pete Buttigieg, the 33-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, came out as gay in a powerful essay published by the city's local newspaper on Tuesday.
Buttigieg, the youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents in the US, said he was well into adulthood before he was able to acknowledge the fact that he's gay, which took "years of struggle and growth." From Buttigieg's essay in The South Bend Tribune, titled "Why Coming Out Matters":
Putting something this personal on the pages of a newspaper does not come easy. We Midwesterners are instinctively private to begin with, and I’m not used to viewing this as anyone else’s business.
But it’s clear to me that at a moment like this, being more open about it could do some good. For a local student struggling with her sexuality, it might be helpful for an openly gay mayor to send the message that her community will always have a place for her. And for a conservative resident from a different generation, whose unease with social change is partly rooted in the impression that he doesn’t know anyone gay, perhaps a familiar face can be a reminder that we’re all in this together as a community. …
Being gay has had no bearing on my job performance in business, in the military, or in my current role as mayor. It makes me no better or worse at handling a spreadsheet, a rifle, a committee meeting, or a hiring decision. It doesn’t change how residents can best judge my effectiveness in serving our city: by the progress of our neighborhoods, our economy, and our city services.
But it’s clear to me that at a moment like this, being more open about it could do some good. For a local student struggling with her sexuality, it might be helpful for an openly gay mayor to send the message that her community will always have a place for her. And for a conservative resident from a different generation, whose unease with social change is partly rooted in the impression that he doesn’t know anyone gay, perhaps a familiar face can be a reminder that we’re all in this together as a community. …
Being gay has had no bearing on my job performance in business, in the military, or in my current role as mayor. It makes me no better or worse at handling a spreadsheet, a rifle, a committee meeting, or a hiring decision. It doesn’t change how residents can best judge my effectiveness in serving our city: by the progress of our neighborhoods, our economy, and our city services.
According to his Facebook page, Buttigieg is a reserve officer in the Navy, and a graduate of both Harvard and Oxford universities.
IndyStar.com reports that Buttigieg, a Democrat, is in his first term and faces re-election this year.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2015/06/south-bend-indiana-mayor-pete-buttigieg-comes-out-as-gay-in-powerful-essay.html
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