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.
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 first out Cabinet member.” However on February 20, 2020, Queerty published an article alongside a Twitter caption that read, “Trump makes Richard Grenell first openly gay cabinet secretary in history.”
The same “mistake” was made by another popular LGBTQ-focused media outlet, Pink News.
November 9, Pink News tweeted “Joe Biden ‘almost certain’ to make Pete Buttigieg America’s first out gay cabinet official. Here’s where he could land.” However, prior to this announcement, on February 20, 2020, Pink News tweeted “Donald Trump just appointed his first gay cabinet member.
December 16, CNN reported “Buttigieg is about to become the youngest member of Biden’s cabinet and America’s first out LGBTQ cabinet member,” without a mention of Grenell in the article.
December 15, the New York Times reported “Mr. Buttigieg would bring a younger voice to the cabinet and add to its diversity as its first…