On a personal level as an older gay man, I quite like Pete Buttigieg. He’s charming, well spoken, and highly educated; he would clearly make a decent, thoughtful president if elected.

So I don’t run around savaging him on Twitter or reading overly negative content into the things he says. As a veteran, I’m not about to disparage his military service as opportunistic. I’m too personally aware that just about all military members sign up for practical reasons.

But … as a former member of Act Up and Queer Nation, and as a principled progressive, Pete’s not my first choice. I don’t get the sense that he stands behind issues that matter deeply to me, like income disparity and climate change.

I think he’s too moderate for my political taste, too don’t-rock-the-boat status quo. Still, if he wins the nomination, I’ll get behind him 100%. And if he doesn’t? Well, he’s still doing all the those good things you wrote about — just by running.

And who knows? Maybe after he’s had more tempering in the political arena and he’s taken more clear stands on progressive issues, people like me might feel more comfortable.

He’s very young. Losing the nomination this year wouldn’t be anything close to the end of his political career.