LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, and its Nevada-based affiliate Silver State Equality today credited Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, for having ``transformed our politics forever.''
Both organizations had endorsed Buttigieg's presidential campaigh, which he suspended Sunday after coming in fourth in the South Carolina Democratic Presidential primary.
``When Pete Buttigieg launched his campaign 11 months ago, no one imagined that an openly gay small-town mayor from South Bend, Indiana, could rise to the highest level of American politics,'' the two organizations said in a statement. ``No one predicted he'd become the first openly LGBTQ+ person to win a presidential primary contest. But he did those things and so much more. And the terribly difficult decision he made (to suspend his campaign) is exactly the kind of selfless leadership that this country needs. It clearly demonstrates that from day one through today, this campaign has been about the American people, our lives, our hopes and our dreams.''
The statement added: ``Pete and Chasten have transformed our politics forever. They've given hope to millions of LGBTQ+ youth who saw themselves in this campaign. They've put tears of pride in the eyes of LGBTQ+ seniors, who have, over the course of their adult lives, witnessed an unimaginable arc of history. For them, this campaign meant something -- and it will mean something for generations to come.``