"When Mankato West High School principal John Barnett suggested Walz for the role of GSA faculty advisor, Reitan knew he’d be the right fit because of how accepting both Walz and his wife Gwen — who was also a dedicated high school teacher at the time — had always been. In fact, Gwen Walz was the third person Reitan ever told he was gay after first coming out to his sister and a close friend. “Gwen was my teacher in the 10th grade, and [she] started her 10th-grade class by saying, ‘This is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people.’ I’d never heard a teacher say positive things about gay people from the front of the classroom,” he said. Starting a group for LGBTQ+ students and their allies in a small city in the Midwest during the late '90s was no easy feat, but choosing the ultimate All-American teacher to lead it turned out to be a brilliant decision."
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Activists from the United StatesDemocratic Party (United States) politiciansEducators from the United StatesLGBT rights activistsPeople from Nebraska
Original Language: English
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Sources
Ariel Messman-Rucker, students share why Tim Walz being an ally to LGBTQ+ teens in the ‘90s meant so much", Pride, 30 August 2024
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tim_Walz
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Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz (born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, veteran, and former educator serving as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he was Kamala Harris' running mate and the Democratic nominee for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election.
109 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Tim Walz →
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