Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, has a long history of supporting inclusivity and acceptance. Nearly two decades ago, Walz was a high school teacher and football coach in rural Minnesota, where he played a pivotal role in helping students establish the first Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at Mankato West High School. Jacob Reitan, now an LGBTQ activist and lawyer, was a founding member of the GSA in 1999. Reitan recalls Walz and his wife, both teachers at the school, as incredibly supportive. Talking to MSNBC Reitan said, “Both Tim and Gwen modeled values of inclusivity and respect.” Seth Elliot Meyer, who attended Mankato West from 2000 to 2004, was another GSA member. Meyer, now 38, said Walz “was in a minority of teachers who wanted me to be OK with who I was and speak my mind, and whether it was with GSA stuff or anything else.” He now teaches and advises a GSA at a private school in Atlanta. Emily Scott, 41, attended GSA meetings at Mankato West in 2000-2001. She says a conversation with Walz during a school trip to China inspired her career Scott adds, “He set up the next 10 years of my life,” and she followed his advice as it is. She lived in China for a decade, becoming fluent in Chinese. Another student named Larissa Beck attended GSA meetings as an ally until 2004 and had Walz as a history teacher. Now working in disability services, Beck fondly remembers Walz's support, noting that he even recognized her when they crossed paths at the state Capitol in March. Harris chose Walz as a running mate, and now we understand why! #Queer Up Politics