Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, while highlighting his commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and school safety, slammed Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Saturday for his recent remark referring to school shootings as a “fact of life.”
“It’s a fact of life that some people are gay,” Walz said during the 2024 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, D.C.“But you know what’s not a fact of life? Our children being shot dead in schools.” Walz’s comments came just days after a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which left four people dead and injured eight students and one teacher.
Earlier, Vance, speaking at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, the day after the shooting, described school shootings as a grim reality and advocated for increased security in schools. “I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have to bolster security at our schools.”
Addressing a crowd of roughly 3,500 people, Walz highlighted his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ efforts in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, noting that Harris was among the first to officiate same-sex marriages in the U.S. Walz also reflected on his time as a high school teacher and his role as the faculty advisor for his school’s first gay-straight alliance club in 1999, sharing that one of the founding students, Jacob Reitan, was present at the dinner.
“Being an ally is easy, but what really matters is knowing who will stand by your side when it’s hard,” Walz remarked, emphasizing the importance of true advocacy.
Walz also criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, arguing that during Trump’s presidency, no significant efforts were made to address childhood poverty or reduce childcare costs. He ridiculed Trump’s recent proposal to use tariffs to fund childcare, calling it incoherent.
The Minnesota governor urged Democrats to campaign on actionable plans rather than just hoping to win. He outlined his and Harris’ agenda, which includes lowering taxes for working families, implementing family and medical leave, and passing the Equality Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in healthcare, housing, education, and other areas.
“We can’t just hope to win,” Walz concluded. “We need a clear vision for the future that protects our children and advances equality for all.”
“It’s a fact of life that some people are gay,” Walz said during the 2024 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, D.C.“But you know what’s not a fact of life? Our children being shot dead in schools.” Walz’s comments came just days after a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which left four people dead and injured eight students and one teacher.
Earlier, Vance, speaking at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, the day after the shooting, described school shootings as a grim reality and advocated for increased security in schools. “I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have to bolster security at our schools.”
Addressing a crowd of roughly 3,500 people, Walz highlighted his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ efforts in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, noting that Harris was among the first to officiate same-sex marriages in the U.S. Walz also reflected on his time as a high school teacher and his role as the faculty advisor for his school’s first gay-straight alliance club in 1999, sharing that one of the founding students, Jacob Reitan, was present at the dinner.
“Being an ally is easy, but what really matters is knowing who will stand by your side when it’s hard,” Walz remarked, emphasizing the importance of true advocacy.
Walz also criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, arguing that during Trump’s presidency, no significant efforts were made to address childhood poverty or reduce childcare costs. He ridiculed Trump’s recent proposal to use tariffs to fund childcare, calling it incoherent.
The Minnesota governor urged Democrats to campaign on actionable plans rather than just hoping to win. He outlined his and Harris’ agenda, which includes lowering taxes for working families, implementing family and medical leave, and passing the Equality Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in healthcare, housing, education, and other areas.
“We can’t just hope to win,” Walz concluded. “We need a clear vision for the future that protects our children and advances equality for all.”
