Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, broke several barriers this month when he was sworn in as President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary. He became the first openly gay member of the Cabinet to win Senate confirmation and the youngest person, at 39, to head the United States Department of Transportation.
“You can really feel the story revolving around us when the vice president was swearing to me with my husband, Chasten, by my side,” said Buttigieg in an interview for NBC News’ Snapchat program “Stay Tuned”. Vice President Kamala Harris, like Buttigieg, made political history this year: she is the first woman and the first black and South Asian person to occupy the second highest position in the country.
Buttigieg, who served in the army under the “don’t ask, don’t say” policy, noted that not long ago, someone like him would have been explicitly banned from holding any public office.
“There were times in living memory when you couldn’t have a job in the federal government if you were gay. Thousands of people lost their jobs, lost their livelihood because of this type of discrimination, ”he said. “So it is a really encouraging sign about the change that can happen, but it is also a reminder that we have a long way to go.”
In addition to being open about his sexual orientation and marriage, Buttigieg is also known for speaking openly about his Christian faith. And while almost half of LGBTQ Americans identify themselves as religious, Buttigieg acknowledged that the two communities sometimes face each other.
“As a married homosexual and as a believer, I think about it a lot and sometimes I feel that we have to defend the LGBTQ community within the church,” he said. “Then again, there are many times when I feel that I am defending the church in the LGBTQ community or in the progressives – especially since there are so many people in our community whose experience with faith or religion is one of exclusion and one of pain. “
Part of his mission now, he said, is to bring faith and LGBTQ communities together, sharing a more tolerant interpretation of the scriptures.
“Making sure to connect people with a different experience, a more inclusive view of what faith can be, I think it is very much alive in the Christian community,” he said. “At the end of the day, I believe that, certainly, the faith I subscribe to and the tradition of faith of which I am a part has to do with compassion and love.”
Like all politicians, Buttigieg has his critics, whether they are questioning his professional experience, his age, his sexuality or his faith. Ultimately, he said, he will be judged on his performance – and he is fine with that.
“The great advantage of the public service is that you have the opportunity to deliver,” he said. “If you do a good job, nobody cares about your age, nobody cares if you’re gay, nobody cares about anything in your life as much as you’re making their lives better.”
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