Chasten Buttigieg reveals his brothers rejected him for being gay
Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten. (Getty)
Chasten Buttigieg, husband of gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, has revealed that his brothers did not accept him when he came out as gay.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Chasten opened up about his struggle in coming to terms with his sexuality—and said that, when he did eventually come out, his brothers rejected him. To this day, he has no relationship with either of his brothers.
One of his older brothers, Rhyan Glezman—who is now a Christian pastor—told the outlet when contacted that he “still loves” Chasten, but added: “I just don’t support the gay lifestyle.”
Chasten Buttigieg revealed that his relationship with his parents initially suffered after coming out
Chasten also revealed that his relationship with his parents initially suffered when he came out after graduating high school.
“I remember my mom crying,” Chasten said, “and the first thing she asked me was if I was sick. I think she meant, like, did I have AIDS?”
After his parents and brothers reacted badly, Chasten felt the need to leave home urgently and entered into a period of homelessness where he slept on friends’ sofas and in his car.
“I remember my mom crying, and the first thing she asked me was if I was sick. I think she meant, like, did I have AIDS?”
– Chasten Buttigieg
However, a couple of months later, he received a phone call from his mother, who asked him to come home. He has since reconciled with his parents.
Elsewhere in the interview, Chasten opened up about his struggle in coming to terms with his sexuality as a gay teenager. He said he experienced homophobic bullying in school and was subjected to anti-gay slurs from his peers, who suspected he might be gay.
He started to come to terms with his sexuality while on an exchange programme in Germany. While staying in the country, Chasten told some of his peers that he was gay.
Pete Buttigieg kissing his husband Chasten (Scott Olson/Getty)
Pete Buttigieg announced his candidacy for the presidency last month
Chasten Buttigieg has become a celebrity in his own right since his husband Pete announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential race. He features on the latest TIME magazine cover alongside his husband.
He has been busy on the campaign trail with his husband in the last few months, and the pair’s schedule is likely to remain busy.
In a speech last month, Pete Buttigieg confirmed his candidacy for the presidency.
“My name is Pete Buttigieg. They call me Mayor Pete. I am a proud son of South Bend, Indiana, and I am running for President of the United States.”
Referencing LGBT+ rights, he said: “Take it from Chasten and me, you’re not free if a county clerk gets to tell you who you ought to marry because their idea of their political beliefs.”
He added: “Our marriage exists by the grace of a single vote on the US Supreme Court. Nine women and men sat down in a room and took a vote, and brought me the most important freedom in my life.”
