Newsmax host Greg Kelly has been slammed on social media after claiming that being gay is a “full-time job” for Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Kelly also suggested that Buttigieg, a former presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Ind., only gained his cabinet post because of his sexual orientation.
“Why does he even have a Cabinet job? Why would a small-town mayor ever be taken seriously when he runs for president?” Kelly asked his viewers, ignoring that Donald Trump was a reality TV star with no government experience when he launched his bid for the Oval Office.
“Quite frankly, it has to do with his orientation, his sexual orientation,” Kelly declared, before listing a number of media organizations that had highlighted Buttigieg’s sexuality while on the campaign trail. “They could not stop writing about this guy being gay.”
Buttigieg made history as the first out gay Democratic presidential candidate, as well as the first out gay person to win a state during the primary process.
“You saw it in the movie, that he’s obviously participating in,” Kelly said, referencing new documentary Mayor Pete. “Being gay — I mean it’s almost like a full-time job.”
After his lengthy rant, Kelly added, “I could care less,” before noting that Richard Grenell was the first out gay person to serve in a presidential cabinet under Donald Trump.
However, while Grenell served in an acting capacity for three months, Buttigieg is the first Senate-confirmed out cabinet member.
Newsmax host complains that "being gay, I mean, it's almost like a full-time job" for Pete Buttigieg pic.twitter.com/zaTnQCLCRr
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) November 10, 2021
While Kelly was understandably pilloried for his comments, that didn’t stop LGBTQ people on Twitter from having fun with his “full-time job” claims.
For the record yes being gay can feel like a full-time job https://t.co/j2perPMKWe
— Matt Hill (@thematthill) November 11, 2021
Americans aren’t turning down jobs to stay on unemployment 😤
they’re already working full time being gay https://t.co/H3OfbpjRhb
— DeLancey (@Degraceful) November 11, 2021
Almost?! Look…he’s not wrong. It IS a full time job! https://t.co/mUkwZ2fR9u
— Drexel Heard II (@drexelheard) November 11, 2021
And yet it doesn’t pay enough https://t.co/9CtLO6ViCU
— Danny (@dannygilbs) November 11, 2021
I’m part-time (bi) so I don’t get benefits 😞 https://t.co/2ZXhTnpTia
— Cody Wimmer (@Cody_Wimmer) November 10, 2021
The attack from Newsmax comes amid ongoing criticism from conservatives after Buttigieg dared to take paternity leave to help care for his newborn twins with husband Chasten.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson was criticized for saying Buttigieg was taking paternity leave to “figure out how to breastfeed.”
Read More:
Virginia school board member calls for gay books to be burned
Trump sent gay lackey Richard Grenell to Serbia in “possibly illegal” trip
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tony Perkins balk at Republican Party’s LGBTQ outreach initiative
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