Queer Eye star Bobby Berk has welcomed the prospect of a gay president and said it would be a “step in the right direction” after four years of Donald Trump.
Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay former mayor from Indiana, is a leading candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, a status cemented by his success at the Iowa caucus this week.
Mr Buttigieg, 38, was virtually neck and neck with senator Bernie Sanders after 97% of the vote was collected, though the process descended into farce and senior figures are calling for a recount.
Berk, the interior design expert on Netflix’s hugely popular makeover show, said an openly gay occupant of the White House would be “amazing”.
Speaking ahead of the Elton John Aids Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles, where he and his Queer Eye co-stars will host, Berk told the PA news agency: “It would be insane. It would really be a step in the right direction.
“It would be amazing for that to happen after the last four years of so many things going in the opposite direction of love and acceptance.”
While his Queer Eye co-star Jonathan Van Ness is campaigning for Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren, Berk is yet to back anyone and said his main goal is beating Mr Trump.
“There’re a lot of great candidates out there,” he said. “The most important thing is beating Trump.
“So whoever does get the nomination, I will get behind them 100% and do everything I can to make sure they win.”
Berk and Van Ness will be joined by their Queer Eye co-stars for Sunday’s Oscars viewing party hosted by Sir Elton and his husband David Furnish for their Aids Foundation.
The charity, set up in the US in 1992, has raised hundreds of millions of pounds in the fight against HIV/Aids, a subject close to the Queer Eye cast’s hearts.
Van Ness was praised for his bravery after revealing last year he was HIV positive.
Berk – who knew of Van Ness’s condition before Queer Eye filming started – credits his friend with helping to minimise the stigma from the disease.
He said: “You can manage it and live a complete full, healthy life. You can be out there ice skating and doing gymnastics every day like he does and just managing it like you would diabetes.”
Asked what he is most looking forward to ahead of Oscars weekend, Berk, 38, said: “I love seeing everyone on the carpet so I can’t wait to see what everyone is wearing.
“And just being able to be up there with my boys. We haven’t got to all five be together at once since November, so it’ll be fun to all be together again and put on a show.”