In a rousing rally in Philadelphia, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, highlighting his longstanding commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Harris, addressing a crowd of 14,000, recalled Walz's role in supporting the first Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at Mankato West High School in 1999. He helped the “winless” football team win a state championship. Harris says, “Coach Walz was approached by a student in his social studies class. The young man was one of the first openly gay students at the school and was hoping to start a Gay Straight Alliance at a time, at a time when acceptance was difficult to find for LGBTQ students. Tim knew the message that it would send to have a football coach get involved. So he signed up to be the group’s faculty advisor, and as students have said, he made the school a safe place for everybody.” Jacob Reitan, a former gay student who faced bullying, praised Walz’s impact, saying, “Both Tim and Gwen (Tim’s wife) were incredibly supportive of their gay students. They modeled values of inclusivity and respect that helped not just me — I was bullied in high school — but it also, I think, helped the bully. It showed the bully a better path forward.” Harris highlighted Walz’s lasting influence, noting that students had voted him “most inspiring faculty member” in the high school yearbook. She concluded, “Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having,” and promised that he would bring the same spirit of inclusivity and inspiration to the vice presidency. #Queer Up Politics