Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has all the makings to be a great Vice President of the United States of America. He served a total of 24 years in the Army National Guard before retiring in 2005, and has since advocated for veterans after being elected to the U.S. House. He also worked as a school teacher and football coach at a public school in Minnesota before he became a Congressman and governor. Though Walz holds plenty of progressive stances, he also plays both sides of the fence, being a gun owner, football fan, and military vet, traits that will undoubtedly appeal to more moderate and conservative voters
Many reports on Walz find that he’s a genuine guy, but according to The Guardian “his way of selling policies is also calculated, a sign of a man who’s spent his life working to persuade people, from high school students tuned out in class to voters in a high-stakes presidential election. Beneath his ‘aw, shucks’ demeanor is a skilled political operator.”
But where does Walz stand on LGBTQ+ issues? With the upcoming presidential election, queer folk throughout the country are faced with the choice between having basic human rights and protections, and being jilted in public, educational, and political spheres.
Walz’s history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights goes back to his work as a schoolteacher, when he helped his small town Minnesota school start a Gay-Straight Alliance in 1999, according to NBC News. Several students who participated in the GSA at Mankato West High School recalled Walz as being “goofy and accepting of everyone.”
Former student at Mankato High School and member of the GSA during Walz’ tenure Seth Elliot Meyer, 38, recalled that he “initially expected to hate Walz, because he was a football coach and a hunter.”
“‘I was a leftist punk rock, anti-everything kind of kid,’” Meyer told NBC. “ ‘In the year that I had him, what I learned is that he really cared about everyone and wanted everyone to be seen.’”
During his time as a Senator between 2007 and 2019, Walz advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, co-sponsoring the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and continuously voted in favor of LGBTQ rights like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which banned LGBTQ+ people from serving in the military, the 19th reports. During his term as governor in 2021, Walz banned conversion therapy and signed a law in 2023 making Minnesota a sanctuary state for transgender people, and protecting access to gender affirming care.
Walz also supports other progressive policies like pro-choice abortion access, and has advocated for gun control laws over the past decade despite being a gun owner. Based on his past accomplishments, it stands to reason that the LGBTQ+ community can trust that their basic rights will be protected should Kamala Harris and Tim Walz win the election this fall.
