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The governor and VP nominee made the comments during a meeting of the LGBTQ+ Caucus at the DNC in Chicago.
In an unexpected appearance, vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota delivered an impassioned speech to a packed room of nearly 1,000 attendees at the LGBTQ+ Caucus meeting on Monday morning, setting an electrifying tone for the queer groups and attendees at the Democratic National Convention. Walz focused his remarks on the ongoing struggle for equality and the critical role the LGBTQ+ community plays in shaping the nation’s future.
When his surprise appearance was announced, Walz received a raucous standing ovation and cheers. Walz, the gay-straight alliance faculty adviser at the high school he taught at in the 1990s, praised the leadership and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, recognizing them as today's civil rights leaders.
“We’re not going back,” he declared, a rallying cry that echoed throughout his speech.
It’s a core message of the Harris-Walz campaign. Walz emphasized that the upcoming election is about opposing the other side’s dark vision of America and building a more inclusive and equitable future. He stressed that rights are not a finite resource, saying, “Rights don’t work like pie. There’s enough for everybody.”
His speech, which also criticized the GOP’s restrictive policies, culminated in a call to action for the community to remain focused and energized in the campaign’s final stretch.
Following Walz’s dynamic speech, Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, chair of the Equality Caucus, took the stage and continued to rally the audience. Pocan stressed the importance of having a Democratic administration that fully supports equality and rights for all. He praised the Biden-Harris administration and the promise of the Harris-Walz ticket, noting the progress made over the past four years and the work that still lies ahead.
“We need to build on the four years we’ve had with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Pocan urged.
The meeting also featured remarks from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who emphasized the union’s commitment to standing up for LGBTQ+ rights.
“We are not going back,” Weingarten proclaimed, leading the room in a chant. She shared her personal experience as the first out gay leader of a national union, reflecting on how far the movement has come since the days when LGBTQ+ teachers could be fired for who they are. Weingarten spoke passionately about the attacks on LGBTQ+ people being waged in some parts of the country, where teachers face censorship and discrimination for being queer.
“We are in the middle of this kind of culture war where people are trying to not only dehumanize who we are but what we respect,” she said, urging the audience to continue fighting for a future where everyone’s rights are protected.
After the caucus meeting, Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson spoke with The Advocate, reflecting on the historic nature of the moment.
“To have over a thousand people in this room for the LGBTQ+ Caucus and Gov. Walz, America’s next vice president, coming in and proudly saying that he stands with the community—this is historic,” Robinson said.
She noted the significance of the Democratic Party’s embrace of the LGBTQ+ community, saying that this support is morally right and politically smart.
“At the end of the day, we are powerful,” Robinson added.
