South Bend mayor comes out

South Bend's Mayor Pete Buttigieg has penned an opinion article in the South Bend Tribune saying he's gay.

The article comes as the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the same-sex marriage decision that could affect gay couples in every state, including  Indiana.

In the Tribune article, Buttigieg says he "was well into adulthood before I was prepared to acknowledge the simple fact that I am gay. It took years of struggle and growth for me to recognize that it's just a fact of life, like having brown hair, and part of who I am."

The mayor will run for his seat again next year, but says his sexual orientation in no way affects how he performs on the job.

He told our reporting partners at Michiana News Channel Tuesday morning that the published article confirming he's gay doesn't make him any different.

"In a perfect world, this wouldn't even be newsworthy," he said. "The sun came up today and I'm the exact same guy I was yesterday. I'm looking forward to continuing working for South Bend."