I’m not a Buttigieg fan. I crave a more progressive, inclusive Democratic candidate for president. Still and all, though, I don’t really like the idea of criticizing his coming out or questioning his military service.

Coming out is fraught, especially in places like Indiana. Living out is more fraught, especially on a public stage.

I don’t know why he came out, but he did, and that helps. A lot of people.

Regarding military service, I joined the Marine Corps reserves when I was 17 — for very practical reasons that were deeply personal to me. Later, I chose to become a professional officer in the Air Force, but even if I hadn’t made that choice, my service in the Reserves would still have been real service, despite that I didn’t do it strictly to serve my country.

Few if any military members choose to serve out of pure patriotism. All of us weighed our decision on how it would help us shape our lives.

It’s not why we chose to serve that matters so much as that we did make that choice. Once you sign on that dotted line and raise your right hand, there’s no going back. You can’t just decide to quit.

So, while I will be voting for a candidate more progressive than Mayor Pete (I don’t know who yet), I’ll be framing my decision on political and social stances, not on personal choices the mayor made they aren’t really mine to question.

No offense meant, I appreciate your article, but I hope you kind of get what I mean.