Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has removed his preferred pronouns from his X bio after placing them there in 2019.
“Dear @PeteButtigieg, why did you remove your pronouns?” professor-author Gad Saad asked.
Dear @PeteButtigieg, why did you remove your pronouns? https://t.co/A0hhwdezld
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) January 31, 2025
“Because he’s now a ‘was/were,” one X user quipped.
Buttigieg added his gender pronouns to his bio in 2019. pic.twitter.com/lyRESzb4Ro
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) January 31, 2025
Chasten Buttigieg, Pete’s husband, has also removed the pronouns from his X bio.
Times have apparently changed; in 2021, as Pride Month got underway, Chasten Buttigieg spoke of using the “wrong pronoun,” telling CBS News, “Acknowledge that you’re going to mess up. Messing up is uncomfortable. We don’t want to mess up, especially if you consider yourself an ally. Some of these things are new. We live in a very heteronormative society, so of course pronouns are going to seem a little off-putting to someone who’s only done it a certain way for 50, 60, 70 years. But it’s a very, very simple thing to do to help somebody feel included.”
He added: “I have messed up. The most important thing to do is when you mess up, apologize, quickly restate the proper pronouns and move on from there. Always ask questions. If you consider yourself an ally, just ask questions. How can I be supportive? How can I be more helpful? How can I make sure that you know this is a safe space where you belong?”
Literally hours after former President Joe Biden was inaugurated, the White House website permitted users to choose their pronouns.
“As part of the website revamp that occurs during presidential transitions, the White House changed its contact form,” WBTV reported. “The form now allows individuals to select from the following list: she/her, he/him, they/them, other, or prefer not to share. Those who select other also have the option to write-in what pronouns they use. People can also choose which prefix they use: Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Mx., other, or none.”
By October 2019, during the Democratic presidential primary, six of the presidential candidates had inserted their “preferred personal pronouns” in their social media bios: Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Julián Castro, Cory Booker, and Tom Steyer.
