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26 OCT–3 NOV
110 1909-2019
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Pete Buttigieg at the Brooklyn Public Library in
February.
stay ahead of it. I think we’ll continue
seeking the right ways to do
that, true to who I am and true to
what we need to convey as well.
SEGAL: You’ve had an incredible
success at raising funds. Do
you feel an obligation that regardless
of where the polls go or where
➤ PETE BUTTIGIEG, from p.18
the votes go that you need to stay
in until the convention just to be
front and center on this issue?
BUTTIGIEG: Well, you know, I
think there’s so many things that
motivate this campaign. We’re
certainly conscious of the historic
nature of it, and at the same time
there are many reasons why we’re
in this and why I’m going to stay
in it. We want to know that I’ve got
the resources to go the distance.
Sometimes what’s making things
harder for you politically can turn
around and be an asset a few
months or weeks later. So we’re
defi nitely in this to go the distance
and feeling increasingly bullish
about how this is going to unfold.
SEGAL: How do you differ from
the other candidates on LGBTQ issues?
BUTTIGIEG: I think we all have
different areas of emphasis. I’m certainly
proud of my record, not just
in terms of my identity but what
we’ve done because I think it’s important
not to take for granted or
assume that, just because I’m out,
LGBTQ voters are going to automatically
decide I’m the best person
to make a difference in their lives. I
think that what’s really important
is to have a robust and strong plan.
And to me, the Equality Act is very
important but I hope it’s also understood
that that’s table stakes,
that there’s a lot more that we need
to do proactively around issues like
conversion therapy, protecting LGBTQ
youth, attacking the AIDS epidemic,
diplomacy around human
rights including the way we think
about how we treat refugees, work
for community based programs.
There’s so many things that we
need to do that I think each of us
has an obligation to put forward a
robust plan and not simply make it
seem as though we think that the
struggle was won when marriage
equality came to the land or that
the Equality Act is all we’ve got to
do.
SEGAL: One of the most important
things you do is the fact
that you’ve become a role model for
LGBTQ youth. That’s a heavy responsibility.
How does that weigh
on you?
BUTTIGIEG: You know, I liken
it to a moment of growth that happened
to me, around what’s now
been a very small thing when I
was mayor, which was when I was
a candidate I used to think, when
I was riding a bike, a little bit of
irritation, “Oh I better wear a helmet
because if somebody sees me
without one they’re going to say
something.” And somewhere along
the line I realized my responsibility
was different, and I started thinking
I better wear a helmet because
somebody might see me without
one and decide not to, and I’d be
responsible for their safety. And I
think it’s the same now on a much
bigger stage. When people are looking
to you and people see in you so
much more than one person can
really be, you realize that it’s not
just you but what you’re building.
And to me, the best way to make
good on that is not only to seek to
act with integrity and do the right
thing, but also to make sure that
our campaign organization shows
the values that we’re trying to promote,
including the idea of belonging.
It’s part of what I’m trying to
build for the whole country. And
I’m very mindful of the obligation
to live up to the need to model and
support those values, knowing
just how many people have pinned
their hopes on the conduct of this
campaign as well as its outcome.
Mark Segal is founder and publisher
of Philadelphia Gay News.
GayCityNews.com | October 10 - October 23, 2019 19
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