Buttigieg Takes On Homophobic Hecklers At Campaign Stop

Pete Buttiegieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a wild-card Democratic primary candidate, faced homophobic hecklers at a campaign stop in Iowa. Buttigieg is openly gay and married to his male partner.

But Buttigieg took the heckling in stride, using humor when responding to tough questions. When one audience member asked the candidate what he should say to his friend who thinks America isn’t ready for a gay president, Buttigieg responded, “Tell your friends I said ‘Hi.’”

Several anti-gay protesters were escorted out of the rally, which attracted 1,600 people from the Des Moines area and beyond. Buttigieg joked to the crowd that “coffee after church gets a little rowdy sometimes.” He responded to the hecklers by defending their right to free speech.

“We’re so dug-in, in such passionate ways, and I respect that, too. That gentleman believes that what he is doing is in line with the will of the creator. I’d do it differently. We ought to be able to do it differently,” Buttigieg said.

During the rally, Buttigieg said Trump engages in “identity politics” more than any candidate, and that Democrats should address it during the 2020 election. He also said Democrats should try harder to understand what draws voters to Trump’s message.

““We’ve got to acknowledge — without giving an inch on the racism or xenophobia that played a role in that campaign — we’ve got to also pay attention to the things that make people susceptible to that message and make sure we’re addressing them,” he said.