How Buttigieg Could Make Transportation Safer, According to LGBTQ+ Advocacy Groups
When Pete Buttigieg was sworn in as the 19th Secretary of Transportation earlier this month, he became the first openly gay man to be named for this role in U.S. history.
Buttigieg—known for his military service and former role as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana—was chosen for his ability to bring all facets of the Department of Transportation together, according to President Biden. Those facets include improving transportation by rail, air, and road, as well as overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Highway Administration.
In this historic moment, advocacy groups are optimistic that Buttigieg's platforms might make all forms of U.S. transportation safer for LGBTQ+ travelers. "Pete Buttigieg's visibility within the past election campaign was necessary because of its symbolism,” says Daina Ruduša of OutRight Action International, a nonprofit that fights for LGBTQ+ rights globally. “The appointment fits into a larger context of this administration being the most LGBTQ+ friendly ever, which, in turn, has great implications beyond the borders of the U.S."
But what does that mean for the community? Policy reforms that community members and allies hope to see range from modernized identification markers for trans and non-binary people to alerts from the government when visiting countries that criminalize those who identify as LGBTQ+.
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And I'm quite sure that he's up to this task. He's young and smart and well educated.
It will be a pleasure to see him take on the disparate needs of the traveling public.
