WASHINGTON – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg can soon add “father” to his ever-lengthening resume.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and one-time Democratic presidential candidate confirmed via social media on Tuesday that he and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, will soon welcome a new arrival.
“For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents!” Pete Buttigieg tweeted. “The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us.”
Pete Buttigieg is the first openly gay person serving in a Senate-confirmed Cabinet position, NPR reported.
Meanwhile, Chasten Buttigieg, an author and former teacher, tweeted simply: “Some news!”
The news comes after a year-long quest to adopt a child, The Washington Post reported.
According to the Post, the couple, who have been married for three years, have been participating in parenting workshops, while simultaneously seeking to be matched with a prospective mother and joining lists that would “allow them to receive a baby who had been abandoned or surrendered” on short notice.
“It’s a really weird cycle of anger and frustration and hope,” Chasten Buttigieg told the newspaper for a piece in July, noting the couple was close enough several times to have gone shopping for baby items and discussed names.
“You think it’s finally happening, and you get so excited, and then it’s gone,” he added.
