Tim Walz: A Champion for Transgender Rights and a Strong Voice for Democrats
The announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election was met with widespread praise from Democrats and their allies across the country.
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, both expressed their support for the pick, bringing long-elusive unity to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket for the first time in several election cycles.
Walz’s Record on Transgender Rights
One constituency that breathed a sigh of relief at Walz’s selection was transgender people. Trans issues have emerged as one of the primary political targets of the Republican Party, which has enacted legislation in many red states that persecute transgender people’s rights.
Walz, however, has a long track record of supporting LGBTQ people and pro-equality policies. As governor, he signed an executive order protecting transgender people’s rights to access gender-affirming care in Minnesota, signed a statewide ban on LGBTQ “conversion therapy,” and signed a bill making his state a trans refuge state, which protects transgender people and their parents from actions taken by out-of-state governments to prosecute them for accessing gender-affirming care.
As a member of Congress, prior to becoming governor, Walz co-sponsored a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, along with a bill to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prohibited openly gay people from serving in the armed forces.
Beyond his official record, Walz has a deep personal commitment to transgender rights. In a time when many national-level Democrats are afraid to even say the word “trans” or who speak in euphemisms, Walz positions his support for transgender issues as a matter of being neighborly.
“We are saying to our trans loved ones, friends, neighbors, and fellow Minnesotans: you belong here,” he said in a statement after signing the aforementioned executive order. “You are safe here, and we want you in our community as your authentic selves.”
This anecdote is particularly striking because it occurred in 1999, when the environment for LGBTQ people was much less accepting than it is today. The fact that the student trusted Walz enough to come out to him and that Walz then decided to help found the school’s GSA is a testament to his character and commitment to equality.
LGBTQ voters who care about equality across the community should be encouraged by the prospect of Walz’s having a voice and a hand in the everyday operations of the White House should the ticket win this fall.
As a transgender person whose job it is to write about politics, I couldn’t be happier with Harris’ choice for running mate.
