Pete Buttigieg might be the first openly gay Democratic presidential candidate, but according to wokescolds in the left-wing gay media, he’s a self-hating homophobe too, or something. Why? The South Bend, Indiana, mayor once dared volunteer with a Christian charity.
Or, as Out Magazine bizarrely put it in their “bombshell” article “resurfacing” the 2017 photos, “Pete Buttigieg Volunteered for the Homophobic Salvation Army.” The smear against the gay candidate was echoed by other self-described gay and transgender media outlets such as Queerty, Pink News, and LGBTQNation.
This ain’t it. https://t.co/9gpe0yQcnj
— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) December 4, 2019
This attack on Buttigieg is completely unfair and unfounded. I’m one of the mayor’s biggest critics, but no one deserves this kind of smear campaign driven by failing, identity politics-obsessed media outlets desperate for clicks.
Yes, Buttigieg helped fundraise for the Salvation Army, as many people frequently do. The charity helps 23 million impoverished people every year.
But volunteering with the Salvation Army is not homophobic or anti-gay. It’s true that in the past, some branches of the organization did engage in isolated instances of anti-gay discrimination and advocacy. But broadly, the organization serves and helps all struggling people in need, and gay and transgender people are most certainly included. In fact, the Salvation Army recently clarified their position and made it clear they want to work with and help gay and transgender people, too.
“As we’ve better understood the needs of the LGTBTQ+ community, we’ve evolved our approach. As we build and remodel emergency shelters and transitional housing across the country, we consider ways to help LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe and cared for. … We don’t ask our clients about their sexual orientation,” the organization said, “and we provide service based on how they self-identify.”
Does that sound evil or homophobic to you?
It is certainly true that the Salvation Army holds traditional Christian values as an organization due to its religious foundations. We can certainly debate whether or not these values are fair and genuine. But there’s no sane argument that suggests Pete Buttigieg is to be blamed for them.
It’s ridiculous for Out Magazine and other social justice warriors to expect every person who drops a dollar in the Salvation Army’s red bucket come Christmastime to have read their human resources handbook. Then again, crazy media attacks on Buttigieg are nothing new — from a writer at The Root calling the mayor a “lying motherf—er” to The New Republic publishing a nasty screed calling him a “Mary Pete,” aka gay Uncle Tom.
The more left-wing journalists launch baseless attacks against Mayor Pete, the more they distract from legitimate criticisms of his campaign.
