>>> WELL, AND FAITHFULLY
DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE
OFFICE WHICH IM ABOUT TO ENTER,
SO HELP ME GOD.
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. SECRETARY.
CONGRATULATIONS!
>> THANK YOU.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> CHASEN BUTTIGIEG QUICKLY
BECAME A SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION
SINCE HIS PETES RUN.
NOW THAT SECRETARY PETE CHASTEN
IS ADJUSTING TO LIFE IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
JOINING ME NOW IS CHASTEN
BUTTIGIEG.
AUTHOR OF THE BEST-SELLING
MEMOIR "I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL
YOU."
ITS NOW OUT IN PAPERBACK JUST
IN TIME FOR PRIDE MONTH.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
WELCOME TO "THE SUNDAY SHOW."
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JONATHAN.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> SO I WANT TO READ SOMETHING
FROM YOUR BOOK.
ITS IN THE OPENING PAGES, BUT
ITS VERY REVEALING.
YOU WRITE, "THE MORE TIME I
SPENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
REFLECTING ON MY OWN LIFE AND
SEEING MYSELF IN OTHER PEOPLES
STORIES, THE MORE I REALIZED
THAT THE EXPERIENCES AND
MEMORIES I WAS SCARED OF AND
EMBARRASSED OF OR KEEPING HIDDEN
WERENT AS WEIRD, MOCKBLE, OR
INAPPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS IN THE
CONTEXT OF NATIONAL POLITICS AS
ID ASSUMED THEY WERE."
TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I DID NOT
CONSIDER MYSELF A POLITICAL
PERSON WHEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH
THE MAYOR WHO DECIDED TO RUN FOR
PRESIDENT.
I DEPARTMENT KNOW HOW IT OR WHAT
TO BE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
PRESENTING MYSELF IN THE WRONG
WAY AND I REALIZED, YOU KNOW,
YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE A DEEP
BREATH AND BE YOURSELF.
I STARTED OPENING UP ABOUT
GROWING UP GAY IN THE MIDWEST.
WHAT IT WAS LIKE COMING OUT IN A
VERY CONSERVATIVE RURAL PLACE.
WHAT IT WAS LIKE WATCHING MY
MOTHER BATTLE CANCER.
SHES STILL BATTLING CANCER AND
OUR AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY
THINGS I FELT LIKE YOURE
SUPPOSED TO KEEP LOCKED UP
INSIDE BECAUSE THOSE
VULNERABILITIES MIGHT MAKE YOU
LOOK WEAKER.
THE MORE I TALKED ABOUT THEM,
THE MORE I FELT PEOPLE CONNECTED
WITH US.
CONNECTED WITH THE RACE AND OUR
SHARED AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
>> AND WHAT DID -- I MEAN, WEVE
TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE BUT NOT
IN THIS VENUE.
BUT TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE
FOR YOU ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN
ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO HAVE
PEOPLE COME UP TO YOU AND SHARE
THEIR STORIES.
>> THAT WAS THE BEST PART.
I DIDNT MEAN TO CAUSE A
KERFUFFLE WHEN I KISSED MY
HUSBAND BUT THEN I HEARD ABOUT
THE KISS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
PEOPLE COMING UP AND SAYING WHAT
IT MEANT TO THEM TO SEE AN OUT
AND PROUD COUPLE ON THE NATIONAL
STAGE LIKE THAT.
KIDS WHO HAVE RUN AWAY FROM HOME
WHEN I HAD WHEN I WAS 17.
KIDS WHO HAD NEVER TALKED TO
THEIR FAMILY SINCE THEY RAN AWAY
FROM HOME.
I WAS LUCKY TO GET TO GO BACK
HOME.
AN OLDER COUPLES IN THEIR 60s,
70s, AND 80s WHO HAD BEEN
MARRIED OR TOGETHER FOR 30 YEARS
AND WHAT IT MEANT TO THEM TO SEE
PETE AND I HOLDING HANDS AND
GOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
TOGETHER.
THAT WAS THE BEST PART, JUST
SITTING DOWN AND BEING IN THE
SPACES WITH FOLKS AND
CELEBRATING OUR EXISTENCE.
>> YOU TALKED EARLIER ABOUT HOW
YOU WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL NOT FEELING
COMFORTABLE AND NOT WANTING TO
MAKE A MISTAKE AND BE A LITTLE
RETICENT ABOUT SPEAKING UP.
THAT ALL CHANGED.
THAT HAS GONE.
I WANT TO PUT OUT A TWEET YOU
SENT OUT EARLIER ON JUNE 3rd.
RESPONDING TO McDANIELS, THE
HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
SAYING HAPPY PRIDE MONTH.
GOP IS PROUD TO HAVE DOUBLED OUR
LGBTQ SUPPORT OVER THE LAST FOUR
YEARS AND WELL CONTINUE TO GROW
BY SUPPORTING MEASURES THAT
PROMOTE FAIRNESS AND BALANCE AND
PROTECTIONS FOR AMERICANS.
AND THOSE WITH DEEPLY HELD
RELIGIOUS BELIEVES.
YOUR RESPONSE, THOSE WITH DEEPLY
HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEVES ARE
OFTEN THE PASHLTS WHO FORCE
THEIR LGBTQ CHILDREN OUT TO THE
STREET.
40% OF HOMELESS YOUTH IN THIS
COUNTRY ARE LGBTQ.
REVISIT YOUR PARTYS PLATFORM
BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH ABOUT
PRIDE.
THATS, I MEAN, WHY DID YOU FEEL
COMPELLED TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO
THE HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY?
ON THIS ISSUE?
>> BECAUSE ITS HYPOCRITICAL AND
DANGEROUS.
I MEAN, I DONT WANT TO PRETEND
THAT RELIGION IS THE REASON
THERES HOMOPHOBIA IN THIS
COUNTRY.
I KNOW DEEPLY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
WHO ARE LGBTQ.
I THINK WHAT SHES TRYING TO SAY
THERE IS, WELL, WELL TOLERATE
LGBTQ AMERICANS BUT WERE GOING
TO HAVE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD LIKE
FOR YOU NOT TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO
BE MARRIED, THE RIGHT TO DENY
YOU A PIZZA OR CAKE OR HOUSING
OR EMPLOYMENT OR CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I
WOULD LOVE FOR HER TO REVISIT
HER PARTYS PLATFORM, WHICH I
THINK MANY PEOPLE STILL DONT
UNDERSTAND.
STILL STATES THAT MARRIAGE IS
BETWEEN A MAN AND WOMAN.
THATS IN THE CURRENT 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM.
IF THEY WANT TO BE INCLUSIVE,
THEY CAN START AT HOME.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO BE ENLISTED
TO HELP GET THE EQUALITY ACT
OVER THE FINISH LINE?
ARE YOU DRAWING THE LINE IN
TERMS OF POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT?
>> ILL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO GET
THE EQUALITY ACT PASSED.
AND GOING BACK TO THE
CHAIRWOMAN, IF SHE BELIEVES THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, YOU KNOW, IS
THE INCLUSIVE PARTY THAT
SUPPORTS LGBTQ RIGHTS, WE SHOULD
HAVE NO PROBLEM PASSING THE
EQUALITY ACT.
BUT WHATEVER IT TAKES, I WILL
HAPPILY HELP ANYBODY HERE ON THE
HILL PASS THAT ACT BECAUSE ITS
IMPORTANT.
>> HOW ARE THE DOGS ADJUSTING TO
BEING IN A NEW CITY?
[ LAUGHTER ]
THEYRE NOT DOING WELL IN THE
HEAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ITS PETE AND I
AND THE TWO DOGS AND 800 SQUARE
FEET.
WERE GETTING USED TO BEING IN
EACH OTHERS SPACE.
THEYRE DOING ALL RIGHT.
THEYRE LITTLE CELEBRITIES HERE
>>WELL, THATS GREAT.