Tim Walz has long been a friend to the queer community, and here’s the proof

Less than 24 hours after securing the nomination to be the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris has announced her running mate: Minnesota governor Tim Walz. In what continues to be a tight race, this has largely prompted the question “who is Tim Walz?” His full history ties together progressive talking points and a classic Midwestern upbringing.

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Tim Walz’s gay backstory means everything to queer voters

Walz’s support for queer teenagers in the ’90s show the kind of vice president he could become.

Democrats have immediately praised Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her vice-presidential pick, citing everything from positive climate policies around emissions to codifying rights for abortion access in his state. The other sign that he’s a positive choice comes from the Republican party’s immediate attacks. They’ve highlighted his “extremist far-left views” by highlighting… his exciting voting record that aims to make the country better. Generally, Tim Walz represents the future that Liberals want, and that image is supported by his history of backing queer identities both before and after entering the political space.

Tim Walz’s LGBTQ+ record

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It’s important to remember that part of being a progressive is allowing ideas to advance and, well, progress. While Hilary Clinton once opposed same-sex marriage, by the time her campaign rolled around her views on the matter had evolved. However, rather than progressing with the times, Tim Walz has been ahead of the curve on queer issues and that means his voting record in that sphere is hard to impeach.

While working as a schoolteacher in Minnesota at Mankato West High School, Walz sponsored the creation of the school’s first gay-straight alliance (GSA) all the way back in 1999. The political climate at the time was against him, as Minnesota outlawed same-sex marriage in 1997.

Related

Tim Walz’s gay backstory means everything to queer voters

Walz’s support for queer teenagers in the ’90s show the kind of vice president he could become.

His move from high school to Congress continued his work to champion queer rights tenfold. Walz ran for the House of Representatives against a Republican incumbent, Gil Gutknecht, on a platform that supported same-sex marriage. During his tenure in the House, Minnesota began recognizing same-sex marriages while in Congress Walz voted to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and co-sponsored the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He also supported efforts to stop workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and voted for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Bill.

More recently, Tim Walz moved from the House of Representatives to the Minnesota Governor’s residence and has continued to support the LGBTQ+ community in his home state. In April 2023, Governor Walz signed a statewide conversion therapy ban. This followed his March 2023 move to sign an executive order protecting LGBTQ+ people’s rights to gender-affirming care within the state, whether they were from Minnesota or another state. At the time of signing, Walz said:

We want every Minnesotan to grow up feeling safe, valued, protected, celebrated, and free to exist as their authentic versions of themselves […] Protecting and supporting access to gender affirming health care is essential to being a welcoming and supportive state.

Tim Walz

Highlighting the torrent of anti-trans laws coming from legislatures across the United States, Walz pointed to Kristi Noem and Minnesota’s neighboring state of South Dakota:

I don’t know what a group of people in Pierre [South Dakota] who decide to make life miserable and more dangerous for people are thinking, but it’s not going to happen in Minnesota.

Tim Walz

While the primary requirement to be Kamala Harris’ VP pick was (unofficially) to be a cis white man, her choice could have been a lot worse. With Tim Walz’s LGBTQ+ voting record, there’s no need for revisionist history. He’s been an ally for the queer community much longer than most of us have known his name.