kamala's vp pick: the football coach who said "gay rights" in the 90s 🏈🌈

tim walz is the ally we didn't know we needed (and why it matters) 👀

tl;dr: i told y’all weeks ago! kamala harris picked tim walz as her vp. he's a former teacher, football coach, and unexpected lgbtq+ advocate. buckle up for some wholesome midwest realness. they have a couch fucker and a felon. we have the fun aunt and the fun uncle. let’s go win this thing.

---

I told y’all weeks ago he would be a good pick! See? This is why you follow me. I tell you things before they happen. Puerto Rican oracle! Source: Moira Donegan, Twitter.

hey mi gente!

so, kamala dropped a bombshell this morning, and no, it's not another pantsuit (though i'm always here for her lewks). she picked governor tim walz of minnesota as her running mate, and let me tell you, this choice is on point!

now, i know what you're thinking: "edgard, who the hell is tim walz and why should i care?" well, sit tight, because i'm about to serve you a piping hot plate of political tea, with a surprising side of queer history for you.

first things first, tim walz is the current governor of minnesota. but before he was governor, this man was well ahead of his time on issues that are near to me.

picture this: it's the 90s. "friends" is on tv, scrunchies are a thing, and being openly lgbtq+ is about as popular as nickelback is now. enter tim walz, a high school teacher and football coach in nebraska. classic midwestern straight white dude, right? wrong.

plot twist: walz wasn't just teaching kids how to tackle and run plays. he was also the faculty advisor of his school's gay-straight alliance (gsa). let that sink in. a football coach. in minnesota. in the 90s. running a gsa. if that's not allyship, i don't know what is.

kamala's vp pick: the "weird" & "mean" strategy shakes up 2024 race

now, for those of you who weren't queer in the 90s (lucky you), let me paint a picture. this was a time when "don't ask, don't tell" was considered progressive. ellen had just come out and lost her show. matthew shepard's murder shocked the nation. being an lgbtq+ ally, especially in a red state, wasn't just unpopular – it was downright dangerous.

but walz? he looked at all that hate and said, "not in my school." he used his position as a beloved coach to create a safe space for queer kids when they needed it most. that's not just brave; that's revolutionary.

tim walz’s pro-lgbtq record

fast forward to today, and walz hasn't stopped fighting for us. as governor of minnesota, he:

• signed a law banning conversion therapy for minors (bye, bigotry!)

• established minnesota as a "trans refuge state" (take notes, florida)

• expanded hate crime laws to protect gender expression (yasss, justice!)

but here's the tea: walz isn't just good on lgbtq+ issues. this man is like the swiss army knife of progressivism:

• he's a veteran who supports common-sense gun laws

• he expanded healthcare access and lowered prescription drug costs

• he's big on climate action and clean energy jobs

basically, he's the kind of guy who could probably win over your republican tío at the family barbecue.

now, i know some of y'all might be side-eyeing this pick. "another white dude?" i hear you. representation matters, and we need more diversity in politics.

but let's be real: in a country where trans kids are under attack and conversion therapy still exists, having a straight ally with a track record of actually showing up for us? that's powerful.

plus, can we talk about the political strategy here? walz brings midwest appeal, military cred, and a history of winning in swing districts. he's like the political equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte – basic, but he gets the job done and people love him.

so, what's the bottom line?

kamala harris just picked a running mate who was advocating for queer rights when it was deeply unpopular, who has a solid progressive record, and who might just help deliver those crucial midwest swing states.

is tim walz perfect? nah. is he an unexpected champion for our community? absolutely. and in these times, when our rights are under attack from all sides, i'll take a football coach who says "gay rights" over any fair-weather ally.

what do you think about this vp pick? are you excited? skeptical? let me know in the comments. and remember, no matter who's on the ticket, the most important thing is to get out and vote. our rights depend on it.

hasta la próxima, mis amores!

edgard 💖✊🏽🌈

p.s. can we appreciate for a moment how far we've come that a former football coach with a strong lgbtq+ ally record is now in the running for vice president? progress, mi gente. slow, but progress.