South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democratic presidential candidate, is openly running for the White House as an openly gay man.
Some South Carolina voters see his sexuality as a problem, according to focus group taken in mid-July by the Benenson Strategy Group, McClatchy DC reported.
The study was conducted by the mayor's presidential campaign.
Buttigieg, 37, married his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, in 2018. The 21-page reports said "being gay was a barrier" for many of the individuals who participated. The male participants especially seemed "deeply uncomfortable even discussing it."
"That's not my thing, but I wouldn't want to know that as a candidate," said one female participant under 40. "Too much information."
"I don't like the fact that he threw out there that he lives with his husband," said a male participant.
Another man questioned how Buttigieg's sexuality could affect working with other nations.
"We need someone in the position now as a strong leader coming from what we have now, and that's the only reason I think that would hurt him," the man said.
The focus group included 24 uncommitted black voters in Columbia, South Carolina, aged 25-65. There were three 90-minute sessions.
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