Chasten Buttigieg accuses Republicans against trans ideology of being motivated by ‘clout, clicks and cash'

Chasten Buttigieg accused Republicans and conservatives opposed to trans ideology as being motivated by "clout, clicks and cash" in a Friday interview conducted as he tours the country promoting his new book.

Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, spoke on Fox 11’s "The Issue Is" and cited statistics that he says show that 40% of homeless children are LGBTQ and that half of all trans-identifying children will attempt to commit suicide.

"If all of that data doesn't scare you as an elected official into doing the right thing, into being on the right side of history, and instead you are emboldened to go to work and continue attacking vulnerable people, that's shameful," he said.

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In recent years, trans ideology has become a heated political issue, as Democrats have increasingly accepted the claim that those who identify as a gender different from their biological sex deserve the same access as those of the opposite sex — including to single-sex spaces and sports teams. 

Buttigieg appeared to downplay the idea of genuine disagreement on the matter, accusing Republicans and conservatives of being motivated by "three Cs"

"Clout clicks and cash," he said. "It’s so easy to go on social media or the floor of the House and say something ridiculous, audition for late night TV, go there, say something ridiculous, send out the email, raise money off of it, it certainly has brought people into higher positions of power in the Republican Party," he said.

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Buttigieg, who is promoting his book "I Have Something to Tell You: For Young Adults" in a nationwide tour, said that conservatives "raise a lot of money of off that hate and divisiveness, and it’s a lot of clickbait for them, push people to the podcasts, push people to the websites, but it’s so far removed from what people need to be focused on right now."

"We’re talking about kids, vulnerable kids, so I hope they would be empowered to slow down and invite people to the table, learn from families, learn from teachers, learn from professionals in the field about what it is like not only to be an LGBTQ person and especially a trans person in this country," he said.

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Trans ideology has sparked additional controversy as advocates have called for trans-identifying minors to be given the option of being put on drugs to "block" puberty, ahead of potential surgery to either remove body parts or significantly alter them in an attempt to look similar to the opposite sex. Advocates describe the surgeries and drug regimens as "gender-affirming care" needed to aid the mental health of trans-identifying minors, but Republicans in multiple states have moved to limit the practice, arguing that minors cannot consent to the procedures — which they have described as mutilation and, in the case of puberty blockers, chemical castration.