From Michigan cherry farms to the national political stage

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before becoming a prominent voice for LGBTQ rights and a published author, Chasten Buttigieg lived a life defined by unexpected transitions. From driving tractors in Michigan to navigating life as a substitute teacher, his journey from a conservative upbringing to a central figure in American political life is a story of profound personal evolution.

Raised within a conservative Catholic setting, Chasten James Glezman was born in Traverse City, Michigan, on June 23, 1989. Growing up in the suburban Chums Corner, he was the youngest of three brothers. His adolescence involved hands-on labor, including driving tractors on his grandfather's cherry farm in Suttons Bay and working at a local cherry products store called Cherry Republic. He even secured a blue ribbon for pit spitting during the National Cherry Festival.

His academic path took him from Traverse City West Senior High School—where he spent a year as an exchange student in Germany—to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he earned a theater and global studies degree in 2014. He later pursued a Master of Education at DePaul University, graduating in 2017. This schooling shaped his career as a junior high humanities instructor and teaching artist at Indiana's Montessori Academy in Mishawaka.

Buttigieg's visibility grew notably following his wedding to Pete Buttigieg, whom he encountered via the Hinge dating app during summer 2015. Following their June 16, 2018, nuptials at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. James, he held the role of South Bend, Indiana's first gentleman until January 1, 2020. During his husband's 2020 presidential campaign, he acted as a spokesperson and advisor, focusing on issues like arts education and mental health. He has since become a published author, releasing a memoir in 2020 and subsequent books for young adults and children.

His personal narrative is marked by significant vulnerability. Writing in his 2020 memoir, I Have Something to Tell You, he disclosed that a friend's acquaintance sexually assaulted him when he was 18, an event that triggered years of shame. He also shared the details of coming out to his family at age 18, an event that led to a brief period of living in his car before he eventually reconciled with his parents.

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