Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce that he and his husband, Chasten, have become parents. 

He tweeted, “For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents!” “The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon.”

Buttigieg married his husband, an author and former teacher, in 2018. Earlier this year, the duo put their South Bend, Indiana, home on the market. According to The Washington Post, they currently live in a one-bedroom apartment in Washington’s Capitol Hill neighborhood with their dogs. The news marked a moment of visibility for same-sex partners and parents. Buttigieg served as mayor of South Bend from 2012 to 2019, making history as the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet member to confirmed to the Transportation Department. 

Last year, after narrowly winning the Iowa caucuses, he became the first gay presidential candidate to win a primary contest. At 39, he is also the youngest-ever person to lead the Department of Transportation.

Also Read | US gets LGBTQ rights envoy as Joe Biden marks pride month with memorial

“The great thing about public service is that you have an opportunity to deliver,” Buttigieg told NBC News in February. “If you do a good job, nobody cares how old you are, nobody cares if you’re gay, nobody cares about anything in your life so much as you’re making their lives better.”

Also Read | Black, Hispanic, queer: Joe Biden’s cabinet most inclusive in US history

Talking about marking a historic moment, he said, “There have been times in living memory where you couldn’t have any job in the federal government if you were gay…Thousands of people lost their jobs, lost their livelihoods because of that kind of discrimination, so it’s a really encouraging sign about the change that can happen but also a reminder that we’ve got a long way to go.”