Pete Buttigieg makes history as the first openly gay Cabinet member

3rd February 2021

Pete Buttigieg has made history as the first out LGBTQ+ candidate to be nominated and confirmed as a Cabinet member.

Pete Buttigieg has officially been confirmed as Biden’s Secretary of Transportation in a bipartisan of 86 to 13.

This makes 39-year-old Buttigieg the first LGBTQ+ Cabinet secretary to be confirmed by Senate.

On January 27, Buttigieg became the first gay candidate to pass a committee nomination. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana was approved by a landslide vote (21-3), which will be sent to Senate.

The news follows Buttigieg becoming the first gay candidate to be sworn in for a US cabinet post.

After the news was announced of Buttigieg confirmation, the 2020 presidential candidate posted a tweet of gratitude on social media.

The post read: “I’m honoured and humbled by today’s vote in the Senate—and ready to get to work”. The newly appointed Secretary of Transportation also tagged the Twitter account for of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

I'm honored and humbled by today's vote in the Senate—and ready to get to work @USDOT.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 2, 2021

In December 2020, Joe Biden selected Pete Buttigieg for a top role in his new administration.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was Biden’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, has been picked as the United States Secretary of Transportation.

The historic move means Buttigieg will become America’s first ever openly gay Cabinet secretary.

In a statement, the US president elect hailed Buttigieg as a “patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation”.

“I am nominating him for secretary of transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us,” he continued.

“Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better.”

The Human Rights Campaign praised Biden for nominating Buttigieg, saying he was “open and honest” about his identity in his presidential campaign, and gave the LGBTQ+ community a voice.

“His voice as a champion for the LGBTQ community in the Cabinet room will help President-elect Biden build back our nation better, stronger and more equal than before,” said HRC president Alphonso David.