Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) blasted Republicans’ anti-LGBTQ+ policies — in particular, their **book-banning crusade and vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance’s (R-OH) recent line about school shootings being a “fact of life” **— during his keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on Saturday night.

Referencing GOP book bans against works like And Tango Makes Three, a children’s book about a penguin chick being raised by two male penguins, Walz said, “This is what these folks are focusing on. 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.”

“But here’s what I’ll tell you,” he continued. “It’s a fact of life some people are gay, but you know what’s not a fact of life? That our children get shot dead in schools. That’s not a fact of life.”

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    Every time I read about things Walz is saying on the campaign trail, I come away even more impressed and satisfied with Walz as the VP nominee. Dude seriously has his head on straight in a LOT more ways than the vast majority of our political class.

  • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 months ago

    Correct on all accounts! Let’s tune now to the Conservative respon- aaaaand they’re screeching about brown people eating cats…

  • norimee@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    They know that very well. They just want all queer people back in the closet or coversion camps and most important, hating themselves again.

    They don’t want them proud and out, they want them hidden and afraid.

    • norimee@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Walz is on a roll.

      Funny you’d say that. The name Walz has german origins and a Walz(e) in german is this:

      A (road/construction) roller.
      Let’s hope he’ll continue to crush his opponents.

  • MiyamotoKnows@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It’s beyond insane that the fate of America, and let’s be honest the world, rests on one election. It’s either 4 years of relative normalcy or hate will reign completely unbridled in the most powerful nation on the planet and our freedom will be a memory. WTF? Get off the couch and vote! No seriously, you must vote. Use your ballot power!

  • ikidd@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I wonder how Walz is going to square his obvious compassion and fairness with Gaza, when that day comes? I haven’t heard a word about what he thinks there.

    Not that it really matters, as the VP isn’t the one making policy. But he doesn’t strike me as a guy that just comes to terms with dead children as collateral damage, let alone whatever the fuck it is that Israel is getting away with there.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      I would accept if VPWalz is completely mum on Gaza. We know the alternative is worse, and we don’t want that single issue to get out there and allow cons to confuse voters.

      Even if pressed, I hope he says something generic about caring for people’s safety, without saying whom, and deals with it after we still have democracy.

      People forget the alternative in this binary choice is super bad on that issue too, and can be easily swayed once it’s out there.

      Stick to the image for now, keep mum on the topics that’ll enrage the belligerent invaders, and see if we can get the borders defined in Palestine’s NATO bid. (I expect it will match the border iz had defined decades ago)

    • andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I wonder what could have happened if he had announced he is against aid in that short window before the elections, how many power pro-Israeli lobby has to sink a man fast. I imagine, it can be twisted badly to hurt his and dem’s chances at winning, and they avoid touching that topic at all for now, with a reasoning that they’d not be able to affect it at all if they lose. That’s so if we assume they’d be dare to change the policies after they get there.

    • nonailsleft@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      I wouldn’t suggest anyone to get into politics that can’t come to terms with collateral damage

      Of course, this was going to clash with his cuddledaddy image sometime

  • nifty@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Any gay willing to make a throwaway account to answer why they vote Red? The Republicans would make sense if they weren’t hypocrites and actually supported some of the things they claim to, like fiscal responsibility etc.