Chasten Buttigeig Shares Homophobic Workplace Story; Twitter Responds

Chasten Buttigieg, husband of out Biden administration cabinet member Pete Buttigieg, took his support for the Equality Act to Twitter, where he shared a story of a homophobic workplace experience.

In his February 24 post, Buttigieg recalled how "an assistant manager" confronted him in the break room about his sexuality, saying, "wait, is it true you're a f**?"

"At the time," Buttigieg went on, "it would have been legal in far too many places in America for them to simply show me the door."

Until recently, that remained a reality. Last June, however, the Supreme Court, in a ruling that astonished anti-LGBTQ conservatives, upheld an interpretation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that protects sexual minorities in the workplace.

The Equality Act - which has passed the House of Representatives and now awaits Senate action - also involves the Civil Rights Act, proposing an amendment to the landmark legislation that would extend federal nondiscrimination protections on the basis of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity." The bill would also protect LGTBQ Americans in many other areas of everyday life, including housing, credit, and education.

After Buttigieg posted his tweet, Twitter users shared their own harrowing stories, in turn. Their accounts underscored the need for comprehensive protections at the federal level - though a few also shone a light of humor or acceptance. Have a look at some of their responses below.