Donald Trump is all about revenge. He also makes no secret of his distaste for the LGBTQ+ community. What did we ever do to him to make him come after us so hard? I was texting with a friend about this the other day, who replied at one point, “Well, he can’t hate you that much, since he has a gay Treasury secretary.” And I wrote back, “Yes, a gay Treasury secretary who oversees a department where words like advocate (Does Trump mean us?), assigned at birth, assigned female at birth, assigned male at birth, biologically female, biologically male, gender, gender based, gender based violence, gender diversity…” and I listed even more.
Did I get my point across? I also said that Hitler had a gay high-ranking military aide who was a leader in the Nazi Party while Hitler was rounding up gays for concentration camps.
This week, Pete Buttigieg, President Biden’s Transportation secretary and a golden boy of the Democratic Party, announced he would not seek Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, opting instead to focus on other avenues to serve the nation. This decision leaves the door open for a potential presidential bid in 2028, positioning him strategically for a future campaign. It has fueled speculation about his ambitions for the highest office, a move that could not be more timely or necessary.
In a political era fraught with division and regression, the prospect of the gay Buttigieg ascending to the presidency in 2028 is paradoxically rich in irony, all the while offering a beacon of hope for America’s future.
Why couldn’t Buttigieg make a successful go of it as a presidential candidate? His political journey is marked by notable successes and many firsts for a queer person. His 2020 presidential campaign, though not victorious, showcased his eloquence, intelligence, and ability to connect with a diverse electorate. He won the most delegates in the Iowa caucus, although Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont won the popular vote there.
As secretary of Transportation under Biden, Buttigieg played a pivotal role in advancing infrastructure projects and promoting sustainable transportation initiatives, earning bipartisan praise for his effectiveness and vision. Now we have, like Trump, former reality star Sean Duffy running transportation. An airplane caught on fire in Denver Thursday, the latest in a string of aviation disasters since Trump took office.
In an era when media appearances can make or break political careers, Buttigieg has consistently demonstrated his prowess. His interviews on conservative platforms like Fox News have been master classes in poise and articulation. During those appearances, he deftly addressed criticisms of the administration’s infrastructure plan, turning potentially hostile exchanges into opportunities to communicate the administration’s message effectively.
Such performances have not only bolstered his popularity among Democrats but have also earned him respect across the political spectrum; however, if Buttigieg wants to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028, he’s going to need to spend more time on CNN and MSNBC than Fox. Perhaps one of the lessons from 2024 is that party leaders worried just a bit too much about what Republicans were going to do.
These last few horrible weeks have been characterized by Trump signing a series of his overreaching executive orders that have been detrimental to LGBTQ+ individuals. In January, Trump signed Executive Order 14168, which redefined sex in federal law as strictly binary, effectively erasing protections for transgender individuals.
This order mandated that federal agencies remove materials promoting “gender ideology” and barred transgender people from accessing government-funded single-sex facilities that align with their gender identity. Additionally, the administration reinstated a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, a move that has sparked legal battles and widespread condemnation.
The administration also waged a war on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, dismantling federal initiatives and pressuring corporations to retreat from diversity commitments. This regression sent a chilling message to all Americans who aren’t straight white men and Christian, undermining decades of progress toward equality. That’s why all those “naughty” words I sent my friend were labeled “illegal.”
Furthermore, federal funding was suspended for institutions like the University of Maine over unfounded allegations related to transgender policies, jeopardizing essential research projects. Despite the university’s clarification that none of its institutions currently have transgender athletes, the funding freeze remained in effect, highlighting the administration’s punitive approach toward perceived noncompliance with its discriminatory policies.
Electing Buttigieg in 2028 would be a profound repudiation of the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies. It would signal to the world that America rejects intolerance and embraces diversity. Buttigieg’s unique background as a Rhodes Scholar, military veteran, and out gay public servant equips him with the empathy and experience needed to unite a fractured nation.
Some people thought that Kamala Harris was the perfect antithesis to Trump as a Black woman, so there will surely be an argument made that America isn’t “ready” for a gay president; yet I disagree with that. Yes, it’s way too early to predict the mood of the electorate in 2028, but Barack Obama, as a Black man, won in 2008 in part because America was done with the incompetency and destructive nature of the George W. Bush administration.
The same argument might be made in 2028 in that America looks toward something new, different, cleaner that reflects a country that wants to be seen as more tolerant after four years of intolerance by Trump.
Further, Buttigieg’s potential candidacy for president in 2028 embodies the hope for a more inclusive and united America. His leadership could serve as the antidote to the regressive policies of the past, reaffirming the nation’s commitment to equality and justice for all.
Finally, I’ve always said that there’ll never be a gay president in my lifetime. And while I’m wrong about many, many things, I want to be wrong about this!
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