Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, recently spoke out against the homophobic comments made by former Vice President Mike Pence and Jenna Ellis, a former legal advisor to former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. While promoting his upcoming memoir, I Have Something to Tell You, Chasten addressed the hurtful remarks made by Pence at the Gridiron Dinner, where he suggested that Pete Buttigieg had taken “maternity leave” after the birth of their twins. Chasten criticized the comments, calling them discourteous and offensive, especially given the struggles the couple faced caring for their prematurely born twins, one of whom required intensive care admission.
Chasten emphasized the importance of holding people accountable for their homophobic and misogynistic comments, stating that “we all have an obligation” to do so. He also addressed the broader trend of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment within the Republican party, calling it a “sad trend of people on the other side using homophobia and misogyny to try to make a point.”
Jenna Ellis, who recently admitted to making false statements about the 2020 election and was censured for unethical conduct, also directed offensive comments towards the Buttigieg family on Twitter. Her tweet, which referred to Pete and Chasten as “two sexual perverts” and their child as deserving of “an actual family: a mom and a dad,” was widely condemned.
Chasten’s willingness to speak out against homophobic attacks on his family and the LGBTQ+ community underscores the ongoing struggle for acceptance and equality. As he shares his personal story in his upcoming memoir, he offers a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength of the LGBTQ+ community in the face of bigotry and discrimination.