Pete

You shouldn't have to wait to be sent to war to do this. And I was the sitting mayor of my hometown because I was a reservist. So I got deployed while I was in office. And I just took a leave, stopped being mayor, started being lieutenant, and went into my other job, basically. So I was the sitting mayor of my hometown. I had a beautiful house. I had good friends. I had a good life.

Um, and that was part of what I wrote about in that letter. But in the back of my head, I'm thinking, all right, but I'm also, I'm a grown ass man in a position of responsibility. Uh, and I don't actually know what it's like to be in love. And if I get back, I'm not going to let that continue. Like whatever the implications, I'll just, I'd rather deal with that than, um,

Um, and that was part of what I wrote about in that letter. But in the back of my head, I'm thinking, all right, but I'm also, I'm a grown ass man in a position of responsibility. Uh, and I don't actually know what it's like to be in love. And if I get back, I'm not going to let that continue. Like whatever the implications, I'll just, I'd rather deal with that than, um,

Um, and that was part of what I wrote about in that letter. But in the back of my head, I'm thinking, all right, but I'm also, I'm a grown ass man in a position of responsibility. Uh, and I don't actually know what it's like to be in love. And if I get back, I'm not going to let that continue. Like whatever the implications, I'll just, I'd rather deal with that than, um,

once again contemplate the idea that i could go to my grave not knowing what it's like to be in law so then you know it was awkward timing because it's actually the middle of a re-election but um i took some time like i took months to think through okay how do i do this how do i say this like what is that and then and then one day i did it i wrote a little op-ed in the local paper i said i don't think this should be anybody's business but i know it's a thing here's

once again contemplate the idea that i could go to my grave not knowing what it's like to be in law so then you know it was awkward timing because it's actually the middle of a re-election but um i took some time like i took months to think through okay how do i do this how do i say this like what is that and then and then one day i did it i wrote a little op-ed in the local paper i said i don't think this should be anybody's business but i know it's a thing here's

once again contemplate the idea that i could go to my grave not knowing what it's like to be in law so then you know it was awkward timing because it's actually the middle of a re-election but um i took some time like i took months to think through okay how do i do this how do i say this like what is that and then and then one day i did it i wrote a little op-ed in the local paper i said i don't think this should be anybody's business but i know it's a thing here's

Something you should know about me. And it was fine. I mean, it wasn't fine. There were, you know... People upset. There was some ugliness around it. But, like... you know, nothing ever happened that made me regret that I did it. But the story I was starting to tell was that sometime after that, when I started dating Chasten, maybe, I don't know, some months after that.

Something you should know about me. And it was fine. I mean, it wasn't fine. There were, you know... People upset. There was some ugliness around it. But, like... you know, nothing ever happened that made me regret that I did it. But the story I was starting to tell was that sometime after that, when I started dating Chasten, maybe, I don't know, some months after that.

Something you should know about me. And it was fine. I mean, it wasn't fine. There were, you know... People upset. There was some ugliness around it. But, like... you know, nothing ever happened that made me regret that I did it. But the story I was starting to tell was that sometime after that, when I started dating Chasten, maybe, I don't know, some months after that.

No, no, I found him. Well, we were on, it was like, it was Hinge, you know, the dating app. Yeah. Wasn't Grindr. Grindr's for Republicans.

No, no, I found him. Well, we were on, it was like, it was Hinge, you know, the dating app. Yeah. Wasn't Grindr. Grindr's for Republicans.

No, no, I found him. Well, we were on, it was like, it was Hinge, you know, the dating app. Yeah. Wasn't Grindr. Grindr's for Republicans.

Anyway, I met him, fall in love, start dating. And this, uh, I run into this woman. I know, I think in the lobby of the County city building, I'm walking into work. I know she's a little more conservative. Um, and she comes up and she says, uh, I ran into your friend and he's wonderful. And it was one of those moments, right? Where like, I think

Anyway, I met him, fall in love, start dating. And this, uh, I run into this woman. I know, I think in the lobby of the County city building, I'm walking into work. I know she's a little more conservative. Um, and she comes up and she says, uh, I ran into your friend and he's wonderful. And it was one of those moments, right? Where like, I think

Anyway, I met him, fall in love, start dating. And this, uh, I run into this woman. I know, I think in the lobby of the County city building, I'm walking into work. I know she's a little more conservative. Um, and she comes up and she says, uh, I ran into your friend and he's wonderful. And it was one of those moments, right? Where like, I think

it was very important that the thing to recognize is like for her, she was signaling something pretty big for her. Yeah. Like, I don't know exactly, but I can guess like how she thought about and talked about gay people probably all her life, but she knew me. She met him. He's wonderful. Like, yeah. Right.

it was very important that the thing to recognize is like for her, she was signaling something pretty big for her. Yeah. Like, I don't know exactly, but I can guess like how she thought about and talked about gay people probably all her life, but she knew me. She met him. He's wonderful. Like, yeah. Right.

it was very important that the thing to recognize is like for her, she was signaling something pretty big for her. Yeah. Like, I don't know exactly, but I can guess like how she thought about and talked about gay people probably all her life, but she knew me. She met him. He's wonderful. Like, yeah. Right.

Versus if I treated her to a lecture on the difference between a friend and a partner, right? Yeah. That would have pushed her right back into the arms of these people who don't want anything but for me.