Pete Buttigieg to be Nominated as Transportation Secretary

If confirmed, Buttigieg will become the second openly LGBTQ person in history to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum hosted by United for Infrastructure at the Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. February 16, 2020. (photo: Gage Skidmore)

Democrat Joe Biden has announced his intention to nominate Pete Puttigieg, South Bend Mayor and Biden’s former rival in the Democratic primary, as transportation secretary. Immediately after this announcement, media outlets touted the nomination as a history-making first for LGBTQ individuals- the first “openly gay man” to hold a cabinet post.

However, the first “openly gay” cabinet member was in fact Richard Grenell, who was appointed to serve as acting director of national intelligence by President Donald Trump in February. Interestingly, many of the outlets who celebrated Buttigieg’s “historic” accomplishment, had previously reported Grenell as the first.

On December 15, LGBTQ Nation tweeted about Pete Buttigieg, declaring that “the former presidential candidate will be the first out Cabinet member.”

LGBTQ Nation previously reported; “Grenell’s appointment as acting DNI made him the first out gay man to hold a Cabinet-level position.

After heavy criticism for contradicting its own reporting, LGBTQ Nation changed the post.

December 15, media outlet Queerty also tweeted, “Pete Buttigieg makes history as…