Chasten Buttigieg
The Catalyst
Ideas with a spark, energy, range and the ability to start things.
Chasten Buttigieg is a teacher and author who gained prominence as the husband of Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay presidential candidate. This interview reveals his commitment to inspiring others through his own experiences and his desire to foster a more inclusive society.
“I feel much better because I was able to go out and I guess do politics. I was meeting thousands of people a day. I was my own team and schedule and agenda. We were out there touring schools and LGBTQ centers and homeless service providers, arts organizations, a lot of things that I talked about. Wanting to champion from the East Wing.”
“Yeah, it felt like you could be gay on television. Like you could be gay and pretend you could go to Hollywood and be gay on TV. And watching my mom laugh at Ellen or my family be okay with watching Will and Grace was a glimmer of hope.”
“Yeah, and that's sort of been the hard adjustment is that I'm not back in the classroom. And when the campaign ended, it was like, I can't just go back. I can't just go back to my kids. I had the book project for over a year and I was happy to wrap that up. And then Know what's next?”
“Yeah, and it's, I mean, it sort of seems like it's from a cheesy high school movie, but friends who say, wow, I can't believe you would choose that, you know, or say that's sinful. And, you know, if you make this choice, you'll go to hell. And, you know, it's a pretty religious place up here.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 403 — Chasten Buttigieg
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