Allies of President Trump have sharply focused attention on the sexual identity of presidential contender Pete Buttigieg in recent days, questioning in stark terms whether Americans are ready for a gay candidate who kisses his husband onstage.

The attacks are prompting blunt responses from Buttigieg’s allies and even his Democratic rivals, who call the remarks inappropriate and offensive. The exchanges were ignited by radio host Rush Limbaugh, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump last week and who framed his comments as an ostensible analysis of how Democrats feel.

“They’re sitting there and they’re looking at Mayor Pete — a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage. And they’re saying, okay, how’s this going to look, a 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband onstage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What’s going to happen there?” Limbaugh said. (Buttigieg is 38.)

The episode abruptly injected the topic into the political discussion after months when it had a lower profile. And it underlines a notable feature of Buttigieg’s rise: An openly gay, married candidate has never gotten so far in the presidential arena, and it’s not clear how some voters will react.

The episode is a window into what Buttigieg could face if he becomes the Democratic nominee. Buttigieg did not publicly address Limbaugh’s remarks, but his surrogates and supporters pushed back.

Elliot Imse, spokesman for the Victory Fund, which supports LGBTQ candidates, said it’s clear the Trump camp would “use homophobia to try and define who Mayor Pete is as a person and as a candidate.” He added, “That will likely backfire with most of America if we are able to expose the homophobia for what it is and refocus quickly on who Pete is as a candidate.” Read more via Washington Post