Rush Limbaugh, controversial conservative radio host, died on February 17 at the age of 70.
Limbaugh was well known for creating a particularly hateful brand of talk radio, where he constantly spouted misogynistic, homophobic, anti-immigrant, racist viewpoints. And in an ever changing country that is increasing efforts to leave that rhetoric in the past, we have continually looked back on his content with disgust.
One of Limbaugh's more infamous segments took place in the 80s. It was called the "AIDS Update," and it ghoulishly made fun of the victims of the HIV/AIDS crisis. HIV/AIDS was a disease that disproportionately killed queer people, especially queer people of color.
The day of Limbaugh's death, Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Secretary Of Transportation and former Presidential front-runner Pete Buttigieg, posted a simple photo that made so much of an anti-Limbaugh statement without saying a word.
https://t.co/8137WOXsoi— Chasten Glezman Buttigieg (@Chasten Glezman Buttigieg) 1613585365.0
In February of 2020, Limbaugh sharply criticized Buttigieg's Presidential campaign after he won the Iowa Caucus.
"Okay, how's this going to look, 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What's going to happen there? They've got to be saying that despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness, and despite all the great ground that's been covered, America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage President."
In his initial response to it, Chasten simply said he was "not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh."
@RyRousseau @Chasten Chasten and Pete are married and Rush Limbaugh is in Hell. https://t.co/NelrxOjeNm— lenny the vegan shark stan acc (@lenny the vegan shark stan acc) 1613587182.0
@TheRealAndrew_ @Chasten Rush Limbaugh died He was known for being extremely homophobic— . (@.) 1613586639.0
Well played @Chasten Rush Limbaugh was a hateful, horrible person. ❤️ to you and Mayor (Sec of State) Pete… https://t.co/8Fo0V21UXR— Limey O’Reilly (@Limey O’Reilly) 1613623373.0
In memory of Rush Limbaugh, I think @Chasten should make an entire video compilation dedicated to him kissing Pete at campaign events.— Emma Benardete (@Emma Benardete) 1613603347.0
Chasten also made a subtle dig at Limbaugh when he said he was "faithful to [his] husband," referencing Limbaugh's four marriages and three divorces.
@Chasten You say more with one well-timed photograph than most people do with a paragraph. I married my soulmate, a… https://t.co/bKZRFKN3dq— Paula ❤️ #SecretaryMayorPete 🐝 🍷🚂🛤🚗🛩 (@Paula ❤️ #SecretaryMayorPete 🐝 🍷🚂🛤🚗🛩) 1613587430.0
@Chasten cc: Rush Limbaugh, may he ROT IN HELL. https://t.co/yfpG8Csywm— Adam (MS) #WearAMask ✌💕🍻🇮🇩🇺🇸🏳🌈 (@Adam (MS) #WearAMask ✌💕🍻🇮🇩🇺🇸🏳🌈) 1613585814.0
I love that this was Chasten's response to the news of the death of the deeply homophobic Rush Limbaugh. No words a… https://t.co/jm92wxdzoP— Cllr Mathew Hulbert - In Village Government. (@Cllr Mathew Hulbert - In Village Government.) 1613667982.0
@_intr_man it was posted today because rush limbaugh, a fringe right wing commentator who espoused viciously homoph… https://t.co/JjBRJegu7J— highway highway hopes 🏳️🌈🐝 (@highway highway hopes 🏳️🌈🐝) 1613596006.0
@Chasten The Tweet above this was "Rush Limbaugh is dead" and I thought this picture accompanied it. Somehow, it fits. 😂— Pugs4Pete (@Pugs4Pete) 1613592399.0
Limbaugh also had Mark Styen host one of the episodes of his show last March.
Styen made an awful and off-color statement about San Francisco's virus lockdown being to stop "all the gays dropping dead on the San Francisco mayor's watch."
@Chasten The tweet above this is Rush Limbaugh is dead. My husband and I reacted the same way. Love you guys.— Gone Holmes (@Gone Holmes) 1613591380.0
@Independent Touché— kk (@kk) 1613599391.0
@Independent If your social consciousness seems stuck in 1975, the 2020s is gonna be a rough ride. Some people are… https://t.co/xIukRX2XwX— Marlu Stander (@Marlu Stander) 1613601676.0
@Independent Rush will be remembered as a deplorable bigot and racist, using his platform to spread hate and fear.… https://t.co/6NLnNfp7t6— Lela M (@Lela M) 1613599239.0
@Chasten Dear Rush, this pic is for you.— Jesse Campbell (@Jesse Campbell) 1613585632.0
Limbaugh's legacy is ugly. Hopefully that legacy can be counter-acted by the legacies of those such as Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, and all of the loving non-hetero/cisgender couples in the world, spreading nothing but love.