February 13, 2020 - Buttigieg Success Spurs Homophobic Commentary from Conservative Pundits

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh suggests that some Democrats may be concerned after Buttigieg’s success in Iowa and New Hampshire, arguing that Buttigieg’s sexual orientation means he is not “man enough” to compete against Trump: “They’re sitting there and they’re looking at Mayor Pete — a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage. And they’re saying, okay, how’s this going to look, a 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband onstage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What’s going to happen there?” When asked about these comments on The View, Biden says: “I mean, my God, it is part of the depravity of this administration . . . Pete and I are competitors, but this guy has honor, he has courage, he’s smart as hell.” Buttigieg later responded on The Ellen Show (February 21, 2020), saying, “Look, I’m not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or anybody who supports Donald Trump, frankly,” adding, “You know, when I was packing my bags for Afghanistan, Donald Trump was working on Season 7 of ‘Celebrity Apprentice.” In the same week that Limbaugh makes his comments, conservative radio host Sebastian Gorka questions “what right” Buttigieg has to talk about abortion rights: “Why is a homosexual man lecturing us about the sanctity of life in the womb? Just a little curious there. Strange, strange.” And conservative radio host Ben Ferguson appears to weigh in when he posts on Twitter, “For people who don’t think ‘masculinity’ matters in elections call this former Presidential candidate!” He shares a photo of 1988 Democratic nominee Mike Dukakis in a tank, recalling Dukakis’ failed attempt to prove he was tough on national security and defense.