Gay Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg rips into ‘fanatical’ Mike Pence

Gay Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg has hit out at the state’s former governor, Vice President Mike Pence.

Buttigieg, a gay Democrat who is running for President in 2020, hit out at Pence’s “fanatical” beliefs in an interview with CNN.

The Presidential hopeful has served as the mayor of South Bend in Indiana since 2012, repeatedly clashing with the state’s then-governor Mike Pence over LGBT+ issues.

Pete Buttigieg says Mike Pence is an ’embarrassment’ to Indiana

The mayor told CNN that Pence holds “far out” beliefs about LGBT+ people, with the Vice President frequently under scrutiny for his views on LGBT+ issues.

Pete Buttigieg said: “He genuinely believes things that most of us would consider really far out… he’s written that he thinks that cigarettes don’t kill.

“He seems to believe people like me just get up and decide to be gay. His worldview is one that is way out of step with the American mainstream.”

Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigeig speaks during a news conference January 23, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty)

Noting Pence’s anti-LGBT actions as Governor, he added: “We saw that in Indiana when he really embarrassed our state with policies that both Democrats and Republicans in not just the political world but the business community stepped up and said ‘hey you’re making us look like a backwards place at just the moment we’re trying to advance.’

“Unfortunately, he now has a national stage for some of those fanatical social ideas.”

Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg says Vice President Mike Pence “embarrassed” the state: “He seems to believe people like me just get up and decide to be gay. His worldview is one that is way out of step with the American mainstream.” https://t.co/9kI6szwyme pic.twitter.com/W6qWl6QX3v

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 14, 2019