How was it to meet Mayor Pete? Did meeting him change my opinion of him? I had to write down my thoughts on Pete Buttigieg after seeing him in New Orleans the weekend of Essence Festival.
Thanks to the support and generosity of #TeamPete, specifically one person whom I thank so much I fear it’s getting annoying, I was able to attend a political fundraiser for Mayor Pete this July in New Orleans.
I need you guys to understand, I am not a person who attends political fundraisers. The tickets range from $2000 down to $250. This is basically him trying to earn the money to be in the debates and run his campaign. On one hand, I really hate it because money was my only barrier. It’s not for lack of enthusiasm. I simply cannot afford to spend $250 on two hours. That amount of money is school supplies for my kids, our car insurance payments, or groceries for a couple weeks (at most). I don’t have $250 to spend even on a campaign I believe in with all my heart. My donations have been between three and five dollars, except the time I bought my family Boot Edge Edge merchandise and spent $75 in one sitting. And if I’m being honest, that wasn’t the wisest thing for me to do, but at least we got some shirts out of our contributions.
When I arrived at the fundraiser, I had to stop traffic so I can parallel park, and usually when I do that, which is very often living in this city, people get angry at me as if me parking is a direct affront to them. As if I’m trying to prevent them from getting where they are going. But the couple in the car behind me waved me on and smiled politely when they passed. My first thought was, “I bet they are Mayor Pete supporters because mayor Pete supporters are the best people on the planet.” Spoiler alert: they were heading to the same place as me!
I went to this event completely out of my league as far as financial means go. If you have $2000 to drop on seeing your candidate of choice, you and I don’t run in the same circles. Like, I don’t even know what it looks like to have that kind of money to spend on an afternoon.
And yet, I belonged there.
I belonged because Pete Buttigieg brings a sense of belonging that transcends age, race, class, sexual orientation; what unifies us is our desire to belong, our desire to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. And as I wandered the room, I felt comfortable, as if I belonged with those who were different than me in…
