Latest news with #ChastenButtigieg
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chasten Buttigieg reveals how he really feels about Pete's beard and family life
Before wrapping up my interview with Chasten Buttigieg, I had to ask the big question on everyone's mind. 'I love the beard,' Buttigieg joked, referring to his husband, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's newish facial hair. More Information Papa's Coming Home By Chasten Buttigieg (Penguin Random House; 40 pages; $19.99) Chasten is funny and theater-kid quick, which makes it easy to imagine him and his verbally dynamic husband — the first openly gay man to run for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2020 — bantering onstage at a joint book event should the once 'Mayor Pete' decide to retire from politics. But I wasn't asking about the beard. I was actually asking if Pete Buttigieg had decided to run for president again in 2028. (I'll give you his answer later.) Chasten Buttigieg, 35, the bestselling author and former junior high humanities teacher, was in San Francisco ahead of a talk at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park with writer and 826 Valencia cofounder Dave Eggers on May 27. His latest, 'Papa's Coming Home' (Penguin Random House, $19.99), had just come out on May 20, and is now No. 4 on the New York Times bestseller list. It's among the first children's books with same-sex parents to earn that distinction. He'd just gotten off a plane from Traverse City, Mich. where he and his husband purchased a home in 2020. The couple live near Chasten's parents, who help take care of the Buttigiegs' twins, Gus and Penelope, who turn 4 in August. The couple adopted the twins in 2021, and they are why Chasten undertook the project. He wanted to create a book with a family that looked like theirs with two fathers and children of different races from their parents. 'They can literally see themselves in the story,' said Chasten of the illustrations by Dan Taylor, which resemble the family. 'I do wonder why it seems that Pete's a little sexier and I'm a little geekier, but that's OK.' 'Papa's Coming Home' tells the story of Jojo and Rosie (who represent Gus and Penelope), their dog Buddy and their Daddy and Papa (Chasten and Pete). The children are excited Papa is returning and eagerly pack all the comforts they think he's missed into the family car before picking him up at the airport. 'Papa' follows Buttigieg's bestselling 2020 memoir, 'I Have Something to Tell You,' and its young adult adaptation. It also comes at a fraught time for LGBTQ literature in the United States. According to PEN America, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression, books about LGBTQ people and characters accounted for 39%of the titles banned in U.S. public schools during the 2023–2024 school year. 'When we talk about book bans, or folks not embracing books like this, I just don't believe that our country is full of bad people,' said Chasten. 'I believe that, unfortunately, our politics have been hijacked by some really bad actors who have figured out that it is more lucrative to go to Washington and be an influencer rather than a legislator.' Chasten points out that while his book features same-sex parents, the focus is not on LGBTQ identity. 'This book is a very simple, sweet story about toddlers at their best and their goofiest,' he said. How incidental the same-sex parents are to the story feels not only appropriate in 2025 but also true to the experience of children in such families. One of the other themes of the book, it must be noted, is transportation. Both the family car and Papa's arriving flight at the airport play central roles — not surprising given Secretary Pete's role in the Biden cabinet and the couple's personal history. 'One of the things I've been so surprised to hear on the book tour is the amount of people who come to the book talk and say 'thank you so much for writing a book that normalizes' and 'I'm waiting for them to mention families like ours,' and they say 'traveling parents.' So many books have two parents at home and a lot of families have a parent who travels for work. I've met so many straight couples who love that this book talks about parent traveling,' Chasten said. 'Travel has always been the core of our relationship,' he noted. 'Pete and I met at O'Hare (Airport), and he proposed to me at O'Hare.' So, will there be more travel in the family's future, perhaps on a campaign trail? Secretary Buttigieg did just give a rousing speech in Iowa that seemed like a warm-up to the state's next caucus in 2028, and he has declined to run for senator or governor in Michigan. 'I just don't want to think about it right now. I'm not ready to,' said Chasten. 'I think he's brilliant, and I love him very much. But I also think he needs to enjoy being a dad for a while. Being in this moment right now where there's really no phone call coming that's more important than sitting down and eating with your family is a really special place to be.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chasten Buttigieg: Children's book is an opportunity for LGBTQ families to ‘see themselves'
This year Pride month comes at a time when the LGBTQ community is under relentless attack from the Trump administration. Chasten Buttigieg joins The Weekend to break down his new children's book 'Papa's Coming Home' featuring a family with 2 dads.
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Chasten Buttigieg stops in Naperville to discuss new kid's book with Bonnie Hunt
Chasten Buttigieg knows O'Hare International Airport well. It's where his husband — former U.S. transportation secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg — proposed. At gate B5 to be exact. O'Hare is also where, more than seven years later, he flew in Thursday before traveling out to Naperville to talk about his new children's book, 'Papa's Coming Home.' Alas, he didn't stop by B5 this time. He wanted to squeeze in a little time to have lunch with family before hitting the stage. Chasten Buttigieg spent Thursday night discussing his latest release to a room of more than 200 people at North Central College's Meiley-Swallow Hall. Actress Bonnie Hunt, of 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Cheaper by the Dozen,' joined in conversation for the sold-out evening, which featured insight into Buttigieg's new work but far more than that too. Buttigieg and Hunt touched on politics, love and even his family's 14-year-old, one-eyed puggle, Buddy. Naperville marked the seventh stop in a two-week book tour that launched last week in Traverse City, Michigan, Buttigieg's hometown and where he and his family now live. 'Papa Coming Home' tells the story of two kids, Rosie and Jojo, excitedly preparing to go get their dad from the airport after he was away on a trip. Together, alongside their other dad, they get ready to welcome him home, pulling together anything and everything they could need for their very best hello. They make a sign — glitter and all — pick flowers and yes, even bake a seven-layer chocolate cake. Ultimately, though, the thoughtful fanfare falls away and the reunion itself is what makes the moment one to relish. Ahead of Thursday's discussion, as Buttigieg steamed his blue suit jacket for the night, he reflected on what inspired the book — his third — and kept his sights on family in light of speculation over what political aspirations his husband has in years to come. Earlier this month, Pete Buttigieg returned to Iowa, where in 2020 he pulled off a narrow win of the state's Democratic presidential caucuses, for an event focused on veterans. Hours ahead of the town hall-style meeting, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, suggested to an independent journalist that he would look at running in 2028, The Washington Post reported. Asked about the Iowa event and whether it was a signal that his husband intends to run, Buttigieg said, 'No, I don't think it's a signal.' 'I think Iowa has always been great to our family,' he said. 'You know, it's important to remember that Democrats are still there. That we don't just show up in places during an election cycle. … I don't think it speaks to a much larger calculus.' Buttigieg added that after four years spent in Washington, D.C., he's 'very grateful to have him home right now.' 'I get it,' he said. 'We're in a really tough spot. I love him to pieces, and I think he's fantastic at what he does. I know he feels that pressure. But I just don't think I'm ready to think about much more.' In March, Pete announced that he would not be seeking an open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. 'You always have somebody knocking on your door telling you that you need to do more, you need to step up. … I think every family can relate to trying to get it right between doing right by work and doing right by your family,' Buttigieg said. 'But I think we're really grateful right now for this opportunity to maybe get to say no to more things, and then just cherish being together.' The Buttigiegs adopted twins, Penelope and Gus, in 2021. They're now 3 years old, about to turn 4 this summer, Buttigieg said. They're what inspired 'Papa's Coming Home.' 'I was frustrated that we don't have a lot of books that look like our family,' he said. 'I think every family is deserving of a book that reflects their families so their children can see themselves reflected on the pages of the book.' Buttigieg also said that he wanted to write a story about unconditional love. 'Papa's Coming Home' has been in the works for about two years. The idea came to Buttigieg while he was flying home from a work trip. 'Obviously, travel has played a key role in many things in our life,' he said. 'I thought it was kind of funny that it came to me while on an airplane.' Take O'Hare International, for instance. Beyond their engagement, the airport is also where Chasten and Pete Buttigieg first 'met.' It was 2015, and Buttigieg was living in Chicago at the time as he pursued his master's degree in education from DePaul University. Buttigieg recalled sitting in O'Hare — at gate B5 — when he first started messaging with Pete on a dating app. Fast forward to today, Buttigieg said, 'We go through O'Hare a lot, and it's very special when we're together.' After inspiration struck for 'Papa's Coming Home,' Buttigieg said his kids continued to influence his work as the book progressed, acting as sounding boards for him to bounce around ideas with. Buttigieg says they love the finished product and see themselves in the pages. 'I remember when we got the artwork back … my daughter came running up behind me and was like, 'Hey, that's me. That's Gus. That's Papa. That's Daddy,'' he said. 'She just immediately saw her family. What a special gift to be able to give that to your kid, but every kid should have that opportunity, right? 'Families come in all shapes and sizes, and we just need more books that reflect the diversity and breadth of America. I think at the end of the day, this is just a story about another quintessential American family.' Still, Buttigieg said he's not 'naive to the realities in which we live.' Before Naperville, Buttigieg was in Tennessee, where he met with a lot of teachers, librarians and people 'worried about students losing access to books like this,' he said. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to ban 'anti-American ideologies,' including gender ideology, in K-12 schools or risk loss of federal funding. Earlier this month, the Trump administration fired longtime librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The White House cited no specific reason for her termination, though the conservative American Accountability Foundation had alleged she was promoting children's books with 'radical content,' and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated she was 'putting inappropriate books in the library for children.' Buttigieg emphasized that 'books are windows and mirrors.' In the case of his latest release, 'for my family, it's a mirror — we see ourselves in the book,' he said. But for other families it's a window into someone else's life, he said. 'But this book isn't about differences,' he said. 'This book is about unconditional love. It just so happens to have two dads, the same way our kids are reading books with families that look different as well.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chasten Buttigieg on possible Pete Buttigieg 2028 run: ‘I'm not really ready to think about it'
Chasten Buttigieg says he's not 'ready to think about' husband Pete Buttigieg potentially launching a 2028 White House bid. 'I'm not naive to the reality that people talk about it — that he's very good at what he does,' Chasten Buttigieg said Tuesday in an interview with Dana Bash on CNN's 'Inside Politics,' when asked about his spouse making another presidential run. The former South Bend, Ind., mayor ran for president in 2020 before becoming Transportation Secretary in the Biden administration. The Buttigiegs are parents to 3-year-old twins. 'I think one of my jobs as their dad and as his spouse is to bring him back down to earth, right? When you're in politics, it feels like everyone around you, their job is to catapult you,' Chasten Buttigieg, promoting his new children's book, 'Papa's Coming Home,' told Bash. 'As a spouse, your job is to kind of hold onto the tether and pull them back down to earth and remind them of the things that really matter around them,' he continued. 'I think Pete's really enjoying being a dad right now. It's very difficult to go through life having people constantly remind you that that could be a possibility, when you're just trying to focus on being a good dad and being a good family,' Buttigieg said of his 43-year-old husband. 'I'm not really ready to think about it,' he added with a laugh of a 2028 run. Chasten Buttigieg also expressed relief that a Michigan Senate bid didn't appear to be in the cards for his family. Pete Buttigieg announced in March that he would not run in a Democratic primary to fill Sen. Gary Peters's (D) seat. 'I'm glad that he said no to running in Michigan,' Chasten Buttigieg told Bash, in response to a question about if the couple has discussed the potential impact on their family of a 2028 presidential campaign. 'I love him. I believe in him. I think he's fantastic, but we've spent the last four years in Washington and I really wanted him to be home,' he said. 'I think that was a really tough decision for him, because papa was gone a lot,' Chasten Buttigieg added. 'And I think he wants to be home right now, too.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Chasten Buttigieg on possible Pete Buttigieg 2028 run: ‘I'm not really ready to think about it'
Chasten Buttigieg says he's not 'ready to think about' husband Pete Buttigieg potentially launching a 2028 White House bid. 'I'm not naive to the reality that people talk about it — that he's very good at what he does,' Chasten Buttigieg said Tuesday in an interview with Dana Bash on CNN's 'Inside Politics,' when asked about his spouse making another presidential run. The former South Bend, Ind., mayor ran for president in 2020 before becoming Transportation Secretary in the Biden administration. The Buttigiegs are parents to 3-year-old twins. 'I think one of my jobs as their dad and as his spouse is to bring him back down to earth, right? When you're in politics, it feels like everyone around you, their job is to catapult you,' Buttigieg, promoting his new children's book, 'Papa's Coming Home,' told Bash. 'As a spouse, your job is to kind of hold onto the tether and pull them back down to earth and remind them of the things that really matter around them,' he continued. 'I think Pete's really enjoying being a dad right now. It's very difficult to go through life having people constantly remind you that that could be a possibility, when you're just trying to focus on being a good dad and being a good family,' Buttigieg said of his 43-year-old husband. 'I'm not really ready to think about it,' he added with a laugh of a 2028 run. Chasten Buttigieg also expressed relief that a Michigan Senate bid didn't appear to be in the cards for his family. Pete Buttigieg announced in March that he would not run in a Democratic primary to fill Sen. Gary Peters's (D) seat. 'I'm glad that he said no to running in Michigan,' Chasten Buttigieg told Bash, in response to a question about if the couple has discussed the potential impact on their family of a 2028 presidential campaign. 'I love him. I believe in him. I think he's fantastic, but we've spent the last four years in Washington and I really wanted him to be home,' he said. 'I think that was a really tough decision for him, because papa was gone a lot,' Chasten Buttigieg added. 'And I think he wants to be home right now, too.'
