What inspired Tim Walz to lead his high school’s Gay/Straight Alliance?

Marginalized communities can greatly benefit from having outspoken allies, individuals who do not necessarily belong to those communities, to add their voices to the outcry for equality and equity, making it louder and more difficult to ignore.

While many Republican politicians and political commentators have established a corrosive anti-trans political rhetoric and made it a mission to go after trans rights, Kamala Harris has chosen for her running mate a man who has long been an unequivocal ally to the LGBTQ+ community, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Of the many consequential actions he has taken in favor of the community, in 2021 Walz signed an executive order banning conversion therapy in the state.

Even before he got into politics and earned a seat in Congress in 2006, Walz had been an advocate and supportive figure for LGBTQ+ students at the high school where he taught.

Steadfastly defending the right to be one’s authentic self  

When Tim Walz was in the military, having served for 24 years, he bore witness to the unjust consequences of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that had gay soldiers dismissed from service for their sexual orientation alone. Once he ascended to Congress, Walz would co-sponsor a bill to repeal the discriminatory policy.

In the late 1990s, while he taught geography and was the football coach at the Mankato West High School, one student approached Walz, deeming him the best member of staff to be faculty adviser to a new gay-straight alliance. Having taken notice of the bullying some of the students were suffering from, Walz agreed to the student’s request and helped establish the group.

In Walz’s words:

“I had students come to me who were concerned that there was an uptick in some bullying towards our gay and lesbian students. […] They asked if I would be interested in helping start a gay-straight alliance group. My answer was, ‘Absolutely.’ And I recognized my responsibility in that. You have an older, white, straight, married, male football coach, who’s deeply concerned that these students are treated fairly and that there’s no bullying. And the idea that my players would be interested in coming to that, and learn, and speak to create a culture in a school that was welcoming, open, and understanding, was something Gwen and I always strove for.”

More recently in 2023, Governor Walz signed an executive order that ensured state-wide protections to access to gender-affirming health care. “As states across the country move to ban access to gender-affirming care,” he said, “we want LGBTQ Minnesotans to know they will continue to be safe, protected, and welcome in Minnesota.”

In a time when divisive, virulent political rhetoric is abounding, we need a contrary effort to promote unity, tolerance, and empathy. Tim Walz has proven over the years that he is a staunch proponent of such an effort, taking active steps to make significant changes in the lives of many.