A majority of LGBTQ Americans think homophobia will be a challenge during openly gay Pete Buttigieg’s campaign for the 2020 presidency, according to a survey from Whitman Insight Strategies and Buzzfeed News.
While Buttigieg has been open about his sexuality, bringing his husband Chasten along with him to campaign stops, 87 percent of LGBTQ Americans believe that he’ll face a challenge next year because of anti-gay bias – even among Democrats. 89 percent of LGBTQ respondents also believe that it’s harder for LGBTQ candidates to run for office.
When asked who they would vote for if Buttigieg won the Democratic ticket and was up against Donald Trump for the presidency, 62 percent of LGBTQ voters would vote Buttigieg, 12 percent would vote Trump, 15 percent would vote third party, and 11 percent would abstain from voting.
The 801 LGBTQ respondents were also asked about identity politics; 55 percent believe that the Democratic nominee must be a woman, person of color, or LGBTQ, while 45 percent disagreed.
Despite Buttigieg being the only LGBTQ candidate, both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders surveyed better among LGBTQ voters. 68 percent would vote Biden over trump and 72 percent would vote Sanders. Sanders was supported particularly by young LGBTQ people: 78 percent of LGBTQ people under 30 would vote him over Trump.