Tim Walz praised for his work as gay-straight alliance advisor in the 1990s: ‘He has a great heart’
Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota governor Tim Walz. (Stephen Maturen/Getty)
Kamala Harris has named Tim Walz as her running mate for the US presidential election, and LGBTQ+ voters are celebrating the fact that he’s a longtime LGBTQ+ ally and former gay-straight alliance advisor.
As he joins the Harris’ campaign, Walz’s voting and personal history on LGBTQ+ rights have come to the forefront, and so has his time working as a teacher and coach at Mankato West High School in the 1990s.
Walz is now a 60-year-old Minnesota governor who has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019 and as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association since 2023.
Walz has long been an outspoken queer ally and, in 1999, he agreed to support the creation of the first-ever gay–straight alliance at Mankato West High School after being approached by one of his students.
At the time, Walz was an enlisted soldier in the Minnesota National Guard and coached the school’s football team. In 2018, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that “Walz, now Minnesota’s Democratic candidate for governor, had seen the bullying some students endured and agreed to be the group’s faculty advisor.”
“It really needed to be the football coach, who was the soldier and was straight and was married,” Walz said of his decision. “There’s a collective good,” he added. “We all benefit from programs like that.”
As his political career continued, he kept his LGBTQ+ allyship at the forefront of his work, which to date has seen him protect LGBTQ+ rights in both Minnesota and nationally.
What’s a gay-straight alliance?
Gay–straight alliances, gender–sexuality alliances or queer–straight alliances are primarily found in the United States and Canada. It’s the name for an organisation in an educational setting that supports LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
Gay–straight alliances can be student-led or community-based and are found in middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities.
The first gay-straight alliance was formed in 1988 in Massachusetts and has since become a recognised organisation in the United States and Canada.
The organisation’s purpose is to foster a safe, secure and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and LGBTQ+ individuals as well as queer allies.
Walz’s work as a GSA advisor resurfaced when Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris mentioned it in a recent tweet, and people took to social media to praise him for taking that important step back in 1999.
One person responded: “He had the bravery to stand with the LGBTQ+ community when few did! It means so much to me, having to grow up as a queer kid in TN in the 90s.”
Another added: “I don’t think it can be understated how much it means to me as a gay man that Tim Walz
advocated for LGBTQ+ people during his time as a high school teacher and football coach. Being the faculty advisor to a gay straight alliance in the 90s shows he has a great heart.”
What else has Tim Walz done for LGBTQ+ rights?
In 2023, he signed into law a ban on LGBTQ+ conversion practices in Minnesota.
“During his time in office, Walz has shown himself to be a pro-equality champion, prioritising the safety and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, and especially youth, in Minnesota,” Sarah Warbelow, a legislative director at HRC, said at the time.
Walz also signed a bill protecting trans youth and their families who come to Minnesota from states where accessing gender-affirming care is illegal.
The legislature strengthened protections for trans health care in his state while many US states are going backwards on trans rights.
Furthermore, Walz supported same-sex marriage and called for a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a military policy which barred gay and lesbian personnel from serving openly.
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