AND TRIBUTE TO THE BU LWARK
WRITTEN ABOUT A MARIAPPAYED GAY
COUPLE EMBRACING EACH ONLY ON
THE PRESIDENTIAL STAGE.
CHASTEN, FIRST OF ALL, YOU WRITE
IN SUCH HONEST AND SEARING WAYS.
YOU’RE A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL
WRITER.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I JUST WANT TO READ YOU
SOMETHING I CRIED WHEN I READ
IT.
THIS IS ABOUT WHEN YOU CAME OUT
TO YOUR MOM.
I KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF
POLITICAL NEWS AND WE’LL GET TO
IT BUT I HAVE TO START WITH
THIS.
THE NEXT DAY I WENT INTO THE
LIVING ROOM WITH A LETTER FROM
MY MOM.
I DON’T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT IT
SAID.
THE DOG CIRCLED IN THE LIVING
ROOM AS A TEARFULLY SHAKE ILLY
HANDED HER THE LETTER.
SHE READ IT SLOWLY.
WHEN SHE WAS DONE LOOKED UP AND
BEGAN TO CRY.
SHE ASKED IF I WAS SICK.
THINK SHE THOUGHT I HAD AIDS, I
TOLD HER NO, NOTHING IS WRONG,
SHE ASKED IF I WAS SURE.
I WAS SURE.
I DON’T REMEMBER WHERE MY DAD
WAS.
I THINK SHE TOLD HIM LATER.
I IMAGINE THAT THIS PERSONAL
PAIN THAT YOU WRITE ABOUT MIGHT
DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT
IN TERMS OF MAKING PEOPLE FEEL
SEEN.
IS THAT WHY YOU WROTE IT?
>> YEAH.
I WROTE A BOOK THAT I WISH I
WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ
WHEN I WAS 17.
AND I KNOW MY MOM IS PROBABLY AT
HOME WATCHING RIGHT NOW AND THE
THING I’M MOST GRATEFUL FOR IS
THAT MOM CALL MED HOME AND I GOT
A SILVER LINING AT THE END OF MY
STORY BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF
BUMPS ALONG THE WAY, PART OF
THAT WAS A FAMILY THAT THIS TO
COME TO THE TABLE AND ASK REALLY
HARD QUESTIONS.
IT WAS A FACT GROWING NEWSPAPER
NORTHERN MICHIGAN THAT YOU
COULDN’T BE GAY AND I DIDN’T
KNOW ANYONE WHO WAS GAY AND IT
FELT UNSAFE TO BE GAY.
MY PARENTS DIDN’T HAVE THE
ANSWERS SO I WROTE THIS BOOK IN
A WAY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE FEEL
SEEN AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE
WORTHY OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE IN
THEIR SPACE.
I JUST HOPE THAT YOUNG QUEER
KIDS FIND A LITTLE SOLACE IN
THAT.
>> AND YOU FEEL THEM TOO, I CAN
FEEL IT ON THE PAGE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
CAMPAIGN.
BECAUSE THIS IDEA THAT YOU
SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PREPARED
BUT IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE
SCREWING THE WINGS ON AT 50,000
FEET.
BY THE WAY, EVERY SINGLE
CAMPAIGN I’VE EVER WORKED ON
FEELS EXACTLY LIKE THAT.
YOU’RE TAKING OFF, MASKS ARE
FALLING OUT, YOU’RE LIKE IS
SOMEONE IN THE COCKPIT.
TELL ME ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN.
HOW DID IT CHANGE YOU GUYS AS A
COUPLE?
>> IT’S FUNNY THAT YOU KNOW,
PETE ASKED IF WE SHOULD CONSIDER
THIS IDEA OF RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENTIAL I SAID SURE WHY
NOT.
I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT WAS LIKE.
I SUPPORTED HIM AND --
OBVIOUSLY HINDSIGHT IS 20/20.
BUT THE CAMPAIGN, IF YOU SPEND
ALL DAY ON TV OR TWITTER IT
LOOKS AWFUL AND CAN BE
EXHAUSTING BUT IT WAS SO
INSPIRING TOO.
I WRITE ABOUT THAT IN THE BOOK
AS WELL.
YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND LOOK FOR
THE GOOD.
WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH THOSE
KIDS AND TOURING LGBTQ CENTERS
AND TALKING WITH YOUNG, BLACK
TRANS WOMEN WHO HAD BEEN PUSHED
OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
AND STRUGGLING TO FIND WORK AND
YOU’RE HOLDING THESE PEOPLE’S
HANDS AND TALKING ABOUT HOPE,
TALKING ABOUT WHAT AN AMERICAN
ADMINISTRATION AD COULD LOOK
LIKE THAT IS TRULY ACCEPTING OF
THESE PEOPLE, THAT’S WHERE THE
GOOD COMES FROM, BECAUSE YOU’RE
OUT THERE DOING THE WORK AND SEE
ALL OF THE OTHERS ROLLING UP
THEIR SLEEVES DOING THE WORK.
SHIRE IT COULD BE EXHAUSTING.
YOU’RE IN FIVE STATES A DAY
SOMETIMES.
YOU FORGET TO EAT AND DRINK
WATER BUT END THE DAY THIS
COUNTRY IS REMARKABLE, FULL OF
AMAZING PEOPLE DOING THE WORK.
THAT WAS SO INSPIRING.
>> TIM?
>> YEAH, HEY.
>> TIM MILLER, YOU AND CAN GO
AHEAD.
>> LIZ WANT MISDEMEANOR HE TO
SAY HI BY THE WAY.
LOOK, I WROTE THIS ARTICLE ABOUT
YOU GUYS RIGHT AFTER YOUR
ANNOUNCEMENT SOMETHING THAT
PREFUNKT
PREFUNKTRY FOR MOST POLITICIANS
BUT NOT YOU GUYS THAT YOU KISSED
AT THE END.
I HEARD FROM ALL THESE MEN WHO
WERE REALLY STRUCK BY THAT
BECAUSE A LOT OF US HAD
LOW-LEVEL ANXIOUSNESS ABOUT GAY
MEN THAT MAYBE STRAIGHT PEOPLE
DON’T QUITE GET IT.
I WAS WONDERING TO HEAR FROM THE
HORSE’S MOUTH, HAVE YOU GUYS
THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AT ALL?
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IT HAD.
WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO KISS YOUR
HUSBAND BAND IN FRONT OF THE
WHOELD WORLD LIKE THAT --
WHOLE WORLD.
>> I REMEMBER BEING SO OVERCOME
AND JUST KISSED HIM LIKE MANY
SPOUSES DO.
PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THAT SO OFTEN
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
LIKE, YOU KISSED YOUR HUSBAND.
LIKE, WHY AREN’T THEY ASKING
OTHER SPOUSES THAT THEY KISSED
THEIR SPOUSE.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT US THAT’S
DIFFERENT, WE ALL KNOW WHY.
I LOVE MY HUSBAND.
IT WAS INTERESTING TO GET
CRITICISM FROM BOTH SIDES.
YOU HAD PEOPLE LIKE OLDER GAY
COUPLES WHISPER IN OUR EAR STOP
KISSING, PEOPLE AREN’T READY TO
SEE THAT, YOU HAVE TO HIDE SOME
OF THAT STUFF, I SAID NO I’M NOT
GOING TO HIDE WHO I AM, I’M
GOING TO KISS MY SPOUSE BECAUSE
I’M PROUD OF HIM AND I LOVE HIM
IS AND I JUST WENT ABOUT THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL BEING MYSELF.
>> WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON WHY THAT
CRITICISM CAME FROM THE LEFT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO STUNNING HOW
MUCH CRITICISM THERE WAS FROM
THE LEFT.
GUESS WE SHOULD EXPECT IT.
WANT TO LET MY PEOPLE OFF THE
HOOK ON THE RIGHT IT WAS
SOMEWHAT EXPECTING BUT IT WAS
SHOCKING NOT GAY ENOUGH TYPE OF
CRITICISM.
DID YOU SEE THAT COMING?
WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS BEHIND
IT?
>> YEAH, WELL, I NEVER DONE IT
BEFORE SO I DIDN’T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT TO EXPECT BUT IT WAS A
HISTORIC FIRST.
EVERYBODY WANTS YOU TO GET THAT
MOMENT RIGHT.
BEHIND SOME OF THE CRITICISMSIZE
FELT WERE HONEST, EARNEST HOMES
THAT THE FIRST LGBTQ COUPLE TO
SEEK THE PRESIDENCY WOULD GET
THE MOMENT RIGHT.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT MEANT
DIFFERENT THINGS.
SOMETIMES REALLY FELT BEHIND
SOME OF THE CRITICISMS IT WASN’T
ABOUT OUR SEXUAL IDENTITY IF WAS
ABOUT WHAT THE CAMPAIGN
REPRESENTED.
MAYBE THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT
HOW TO GET TO A CERTAIN POLICY
PLAY.
I’VE BEEN DEALING WITH A LOT OF
THAT PUSH BACK MY ENTIRE LIFE,
GREW UP IN A HOMO PHOBIC
CONSERVATIVE PLACE IN NORTHERN
MICHIGAN AND WAS VERY MUCH
EXPECTED TO COME FROM THE RIGHT
AND I WROTE ABOUT IT IN MY BOOK,
IT DID HURT WHEN PEOPLE FROM MY
OWN COMMUNITY SAID I DIDN’T
BELONG TO IT BECAUSE OF HOW I
LOOKED, HOW I DRELSED OR HOW I
TALKED OR A POLICY POINT MY
HUSBAND PUT OUT.
I WORRY ABOUT WHAT IT SENDS TO
YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT QUEERNESS AND
IDENTITY MUST BE PERFORMED, TO
LOOK A CERTAIN WAY, SOUND A
CERTAIN WAY, TO BE A CERTAIN
WAY, WHEN WE POLICE THE BOUNDARY
OF IDENTITY TELLING PEOPLE
THERE’S A RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO
EXIST.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 13-YEAR-OLD
KID IN OKLAHOMA WONDERING IF
THEY WANT TO EXIST AT ALL.
I THINK IT SENDS A VERY