Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, could bring a track record as the Democratic nominee that could help energize the country’s left-leaning base, along with some progressive transgender policies targeting children.
Walz, a former Army National Guardsman and former teacher, was one of the first governors to sign a bill making Minnesota a “sanctuary state” for children seeking gender-reassignment surgery or hormone prescriptions, which became the basis for some of his more progressive LGBTQ policies.
The law directs Minnesota courts not to comply with other states’ prosecutions of people who come to Minnesota for treatments such as puberty suppression drugs, hormone therapy, surgery, etc. Prior to the passage of this law, Governor Walz had already issued an order in May 2023 to prevent the criminalization of sex reassignment surgery in the state.
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Democratic presidential nominee Harris and running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Luke)
Minnesota’s sanctuary laws have made it a prime destination for such services at a time when neighboring states like Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota have banned medical professionals from performing sex-change procedures on children.
Many individuals and families have reportedly relocated to Minnesota from states with more restrictive laws. Currently, 26 states have restrictions on doctors who perform gender reassignment procedures on minors, with New Hampshire being the latest to join the group.
Governor Walz also signed a controversial bill banning the removal of potentially explicit books for children from public schools in response to parents who complained about certain LGBTQ+ material in school libraries.
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Transgender activists at a protest. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
The bill would also make it illegal to remove books written by or about LGBTQ+ or ethnic minorities.
In 2023, Governor Walz signed a law banning “conversion therapy,” which also included prohibiting counselors from withholding recommendations for sex-reassignment surgery or hormone treatment from individuals with gender dysphoria.
Another key element of transgender policy is a law mandating that all public school restrooms provide free menstrual products. Often referred to in the media as the “tampon law,” this law requires public schools to provide free tampons and pads to grades 4-12 in order to accommodate transgender students.
After Harris chose Waltz as her running mate, former President Trump’s campaign and supporters began calling him “Tampon Tim.”
“She actually chose Tampon Tim,” Trump campaign adviser Stephen Miller posted on X after the announcement.
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Walz has pushed through many transgender policies.
Walz also opposes the traditional definition of marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman, aligning himself with progressive Democrats who say the definition is outdated and discriminatory against non-traditional couples.
As a U.S. representative in 2012, Walz opposed a proposed constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage solely as the union between a man and a woman, arguing that restricting rights to any group was unconstitutional, and saying, “I think there’s a better way.”
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Walz also played a key role in sponsoring legislation to recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories under federal hate crimes law.
Harris and Walz have been touring battleground states this week garnering voter support and have already launched attacks on the Trump-Vance campaign.
