Drew Barrymore became visibly emotional on Tuesday’s episode of her talk show, as Chasten Buttigieg described the isolation he felt as a young gay kid.
Buttigieg, who is married to Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, told Barrymore he initially feared having to “hide” his sexuality from his husband started a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019.
“When you embrace the qualities in yourself that make you weird, different, or feel like you stand out from the crowd, you begin to see what makes you truly powerful, unique, and beautiful,” he explained.
“When Pete was running for president, I thought I needed to hide all of these things the same way I hid them when I was younger, and then I leaned into it. I said, ‘I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not.’”
Watch Chasten Buttigieg’s The Drew Barrymore Show performance below.
Buttigieg, a Michigan native, is currently promoting a new 2020 edition of his memoir: “I have to tell you something’, adapted for young readers.
Growing up in a small town in Wolverine State, he said he often feels like “the only gay person in the world,” so he hopes his words resonate with LGBTQ youth who may be exploring their own sexuality .
“I thought there was something twisted and wrong with me,” he explained as the camera cut to Barrymore wiping tears from her face. “I thought something in my DNA was compromised and I’ve spent 18 years of my life hating that fact about me. Now that I’ve grown up and accepted it and have a fantastic relationship with my family, I realize it doesn’t define me at all.”
Nathan Howard via Getty Images
Of course, I Have Something To Tell You also documents happier times in Buttigieg’s life. Such a moment is his first date with his now husband 2015 after the two chatted on dating app Hinge. The two men planned to meet for a drink that quickly turned into dinner, followed by a sports game, after which fireworks took place at the stadium.
“It was just such a good date,” Buttigieg said. “I think that’s what you’ll know — you’ll know when it’s a good date. And I’ve had so many bad dates… I took a chance on going on this date and I think I knew pretty quickly because it was like a picture book date.
