Facebook/Rhyan Glezman Rhyan Glezman pictured on his Facebook page.
Rhyan Glezman is Pete Buttigieg’s brother-in-law. He says the South Bend mayor is not fit to be president. Glezman’s brother is Chasten Buttigieg. Glezman, 34, works as a pastor in Clio, Michigan, just north of the city of Flint.
Buttigieg, considered a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has been accused of lying about his husband’s family in history for the sake of his political career. The pastor says that Buttigieg’s campaign has resulted in death threats being sent to Glezman, according to a Washington Examiner interview.
Buttigieg had previously told the Washington Post that his husband had been rejected by his family after he came out. Glezman says there is more to the story than that.
An April 2019 CNN poll has Mayor Peter Buttigieg coming in fourth place in the Democratic primary race. Former Vice President Joe Biden leads the field.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Glezman Says Buttigieg’s Story Is Nothing More Than a ‘Perfect Political Story’
Glezman told the Washington Examiner in May 2019, “A mayor from a small city and his husband, a child who grew up with nothing and his parents kicked him out … it makes a perfect political story for the campaign. To me that’s very sad. If that’s all you have to stand on, you’re not fit to be president of the United States.” Glezman says that his brother misrepresented their family upbringing by saying their father was poor. Glezman said that his brother had a cell phone bill and car insurance bill paid while he lived at home.
In response to the Examiner story, Glezman tweeted, “A little more perspective on the bigotry from the left. The party who preaches tolerance is becoming intolerant of Gods ideal. Everyone is given free will by our creator, but not all roads lead to eternal life with Jesus.” On his Twitter bio, Glezman writes, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, Lead Pastor of @ClioCommunity Church.” Prior to taking over at Clio Community Church, Glezman was an associate pastor at the First Church of God in Benton Heights, Michigan.
Glezman regularly tweets favorable messages about President Donald Trump.
2. Glezman Says: ‘I Just Don’t Support the Gay Lifestyle’
Chasten Buttigieg told the Washington Post that he packed his bags and left after his family refused to support him upon coming out.
Later, Chasten said he reconciled with his parents, his parents walked him down the aisle, but he never repaired his relationship with his brothers. Chasten’s other brother, Dustin, said, “We never got over it.” Dustin Glezman is also credited with saying, “No brother of mine…” when Chasten first came out. While Rhyan told the Post that he still loves his brother but he just doesn’t “support the gay lifestyle.” He reiterated those statements to the Examiner saying, “Do I love him? Absolutely. He is my brother. You can’t change that. Just because we have a disagreement doesn’t change that.” Rhyan mentions that he wasn’t shocked when his brother came out, saying his family were outdoorsmen and Chasten had been “studious.”
Glezman also told the Christian Broadcast Network, “I actually talked with them for about 35-40 minutes, shared the whole story. They took a couple little quotes out of that whole 40 minutes and it obviously was to fit their narrative, just to be honest.” Glezman said that the narrative was to make him seem homophobic. Glezman went on to say that Chasten’s family did not reject him saying, “That was a long time ago, but that’s not what I would say. That’s not my character, that’s not my brother’s character. Nobody ever rejected him at all. … I would say they embraced him even deeper.”
Glezman also told the Christian Broadcast Network, “I actually talked with them for about 35-40 minutes, shared the whole story. They took a couple little quotes out of that whole 40 minutes and it obviously was to fit their narrative, just to be honest.” Glezman said that the narrative was to make him seem homophobic.
3. Glezman’s Most Recent Facebook Post Celebrates Freedom
Facebook/Rhyan Glezman
On Memorial Day 2019, Glezman posted a message on Facebook that read, “I am forever grateful for the brave men and women who laid down their lives for my freedoms.” Since 2017, Glezman has run the Clio Community Church in Michigan. During his Examiner interview, Glezman mentions that his family was not particularly religious growing up. In his Facebook bio, Glezman says that he is from Traverse City, Michigan, and his has been married to his wife, Erin Glezman, since July 2012. Glezman studied the old and new testament at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. Glezman has also studied criminal justice.
During his interview with the Examiner, Glezman mentioned that he voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and that although he has voted Democrat in the past, he won’t be casting a ballot for Mayor Pete. Glezman explained, “That’s not because he’s gay. When you want to rewrite the Electoral College, when you want to change the makeup of the Supreme Court, when you want to have open borders and not have any process there, his extreme view on abortion … those are things that are very important to me.”
4. In Addition to His Religious Activities, Glezman Runs a Lawn Care Company
Facebook/Rhyan GlezmanGlezman pictured with his wife, Erin, and son in August 2018.
According to Glezman’s LinkedIn page, in addition to his religious activities, he is the owner of Elite Fertilizing & Lawn Care. The company has been operating since 2010. In the company blurb, Glezman writes, “Elite Fertilizing & Lawn Care is a local company in St. Joseph, Michigan. As a member of this community, we know the importance of caring for your neighbors. We are here to help with all your lawn care and landscaping needs. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority, so if you have any questions or concerns call us anytime. We stand behind everything we do, and our reputation is second to none. We will be there when you need us to help you obtain the green and healthy lawn you have always envisioned.”
5. Glezman Says He Went to a Baseball Game With Mayor Pete in 2018
Glezman told the Examiner that he last hugged his brother at their grandmother’s funeral a year ago. Glezman went on today say that he went to a baseball game with his brother and Mayor Pete in 2018. He went on to say that since the publication of the Washington Post article, the pastor has received death threats including one that said he should go out to the woodshed and kill himself.
Glezman told the Examiner, “I believe for me, as a Christian, we’re the people being shunned, people being silenced, and a lot of the liberal side of things are becoming the bigots to Christianity and faith,” he said. “They are becoming the intolerant side.”
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