Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has spoken out against the rising trend of anti-LGBTQ+ book bans across the United States.
Walz, a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, directly addressed efforts to ban books like And Tango Makes Three (a children’s book based on the true story of two male penguins raising a chick together) at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) National Dinner.
The governor mocked the absurdity of such bans, pointing out how misguided the focus is.
“In Minnesota, we banned banning books, especially LGBTQ books,” Walz declared to a supportive audience. He criticised those pushing for book bans, quipping, “Like reading about two male penguins who love each other is somehow going to turn your children gay, and that’s what you should worry about.”
Walz’s speech emphasised the real issues facing children today, particularly gun violence in schools. He drew a stark contrast between the current push to ban LGBTQ-themed books and the failure to address school shootings. “It’s a fact of life: Some people are gay,” Walz said. “But you know what’s not a fact of life? That our children need to be shot dead in schools. Folks are banning books, but they’re okay with weapons of war being in our schools.”
His remarks came in response to recent comments by Ohio Senator JD Vance, who downplayed the ongoing school shooting crisis by characterising it as a “fact of life.” Walz firmly rejected this view, pushing for urgent action on school safety instead of misplaced efforts to restrict access to LGBTQ+ content.
The Minnesota governor’s stance reflects his long-standing commitment to inclusivity and equality. As a former teacher, Walz was an advisor to his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, supporting LGBTQ+ students and fostering an environment of acceptance. His leadership in banning book bans in Minnesota reflects his belief that children should have access to diverse stories and perspectives, particularly LGBTQ narratives that promote understanding and empathy.
Walz’s opposition to book bans comes at a time when censorship of LGBTQ+ themed materials has increased across the U.S. Idaho, for instance, recently passed a law broadly banning “obscene materials” from being accessed by minors, with “homosexuality” flagged as obscene content. This vague definition has raised concerns about whether the simple existence of LGBTQ+ characters in books might be deemed inappropriate.
