Chasten Buttigieg, husband of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, will be at the Ridgefield Playhouse this Friday as part of his book tour for his rewritten memoir “I Have Something To Tell You – For Young Adults.”
Buttigieg’s book focuses on his experience growing up gay in a small Midwestern town.
It was originally published in 2021 and he rewrote it for young adults to include stories for young queer audiences. The book also has resources for parents and teachers.
Buttigieg is a former teacher and is passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusive education. He says people need to see themselves reflected more in books. He hopes his memoir will give students who are not queer the opportunity to learn and empathize with stories different from their own.
“All the books I read in school for 13 years were about straight people. And I wished so hard, I prayed every night that I would wake up straight. You can’t change that simple fact about you, it’s out of your control,” Buttigieg said.
“I spent 18 years of my life thinking I was going to hell and losing my family and friends just because of this thing I couldn’t change. That’s why stories like this are so important, to make sure that everyone feels welcomed and accepted.”
Buttigieg says nonfiction books give people a mirror and window into other people’s lives. That it's an opportunity to see yourself reflected on the pages of a book.
He says there weren’t books like this when he was growing up. And if he had seen himself reflected, so much would’ve been different for him in coming to terms with his sexuality.
“Hopefully some people will see their life reflected on the pages of this book. And for others, maybe it's their peers, they’ll be able to empathize [with] what a young queer person might be going through — the fear that one feels, the internalized homophobia — and how that eats away at your confidence and your trust and your sense of self-worth,” Buttigieg said.
In honor of Buttigieg’s book tour happening during Pride Month, he’s reflecting on what Pride means to him.
“It’s a call to action. I always ask myself, ‘How am I doing more than just posting on social media?’ Pride is a celebration of my existence. I made it out, I survived. You know? I got out of the closet. There were times in my life, especially when I ran from home, that I thought I wouldn’t be alive. That I wouldn’t make it to today, so, I celebrate that,” he said.
