ABOVE: Pete Buttigieg (L) with Alex Berg on AM to DM with Buzzfeed News. (Screenshot from Twitter)
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg addressed his comments that he “can’t even read LGBT media anymore” in an interview with Alex Berg on AM to DM with Buzzfeed News on Sept. 21.
Berg began the discussion with a Twitter question from Out magazine editor-in-chief Phillip Picardi.
Picardi wrote, “When LGBTQ+ journalism is dwindling despite our rights being threatened at higher rates, why come for queer media?”
“Just to be clear, LGBTQ media plays an increasingly important role, especially at a time like this,” Buttigieg said. “I had a grumpy moment where I was thinking about some of the coverage that I do get frustrated with that seems to tell people how to be gay, and that’s to be fair happening in a lot of different sources and places online and in others, and it’s one of the reasons why as a candidate it’s healthy just not to read too many clips about yourself to begin with, but I don’t want to take away from the very good work that’s being done in the queer media right now.”
Berg followed up asking if Buttigieg felt the scrutiny over his remarks was unfair.
“Look, when you’re a politician you’re fair game. … Everything you say is on the record, everything you say has an impact and it’s important that you are saying things in the right way and that they’re having the right effect,” Buttigieg said.
Mayor @petebuttigieg tells @AM2DM that he was having a “grumpy moment” when he criticized LGBTQ media and said his frustration was about coverage that “seems to tell people how to be gay” pic.twitter.com/Daxd9KFADC
— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) September 21, 2019
Buttigieg’s original controversial remarks came in an interview with Clay Cane on SiriusXM Urban View Sept. 18.
“I’m sure you’ve heard this before in LGBT circles that more masculine-presenting men have more access,” said Cane. “How different would it be if you were quote unquote ‘more effeminate’?”
Buttigieg responded, saying “It’s tough for me to know, right? ‘Cause I just am what I am and, you know, there’s going to be a lot of that. That’s why I can’t even read the LGBT media anymore, because it’s all: ‘Too gay, not gay enough, wrong kind of gay.’ It’s like, jeez alright. All I know is that life became a lot easier when I just started allowing myself to be myself and I’ll let other people write up whether I’m ‘too this’ or ‘too that.'”
If you missed my @PeteButtigieg interview, here is a clip of him talking about some of the critiques of him in LGBT media. You can listen to the full interview on demand on @SXMUrbanView. #claycaneshow #claynation #congressionalblackcaucus pic.twitter.com/kTE26m3mWR
— Clay Cane (@claycane) September 18, 2019
Several LGBTQ media outlets took umbrage with Buttigieg’s characterization of their coverage pointing to the fact that the most discussed articles calling Buttigieg’s “gayness” into question were reported on in non-LGBTQ publications Vice, Slate and The New Republic.
