Pete Buttigieg has faced homophobic heckling during one of his latest 2020 presidential campaign events.
“Marriage is between a man and a woman!” one protester yelled during the mayor’s speech at an event in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, according to a CNN reporter who filmed the event. Another protester yelled: “Repent!”
The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is the only openly gay candidate among the field of nearly two dozen Democrats already running for the presidential nomination.
Buttigieg responded to the heckler in Dallas by mentioning his military service in Afghanistan, saying: “I packed my bags for Afghanistan, to defend that man’s freedom of speech,” CNN reported.
Later that night, Beto O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman and one of Buttigieg’s rivals for the Democratic nomination, tweeted out his condemnation of the hecklers.
“Texans don’t stand for this kind of homophobia and hatred,” he wrote.
Texans don’t stand for this kind of homophobia and hatred. Mayor Pete, we are grateful you came to Texas and hope to see you and Chasten back again soon. https://t.co/IhRDtIBREb
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 4, 2019
Last month, in Iowa, a heckler repeatedly shouted “Sodom and Gomorrah” at Buttigieg, the Des Moines Register reported.
“The good news is, the condition of my soul is in the hands of God, but the Iowa caucuses are up to you,” Buttigieg responded, to huge cheers from a supportive crowd.
Pete Buttigieg has been interrupted four times here in Dallas by protesters. One yelled “Marriage is between a man and a woman!” Another yelled “Repent!” After the 4th, Buttigieg continued, “The moment I packed my bags for Afghanistan, to defend that man’s freedom of speech...” pic.twitter.com/zIpDSCIrti
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) May 4, 2019
