Democratic vice presidential pick Tim Walz during a 2017 town hall said it was his obligation to protect children regarding their gender preference.
In a video posted by the Daily Wire to X, Walz, then a congressman, discussed gender identity in school-age kids.
It is not clear where the event took place.
"This issue is, again, is one of those that gets politically charged. And I would ask all of us, let's — and I try and do this, I try and do this for my own sanity, and I try and do it because I think it's the right thing to do — putting ourselves literally in the other people's shoes and wondering why they're doing what they're going to do.
"And when I think through this, when I say this as a teacher, there's about 150,000 of our children identified in our schools, in our public schools, trans students. And as a teacher, my No. 1 responsibility in the classroom is the safety, security, and belongingness of every single child in that classroom," he continued.
"And at this time, for those who have concerns — and I will not minimize people's concerns who are concerned that this is going to make an unsafe situation, whatever — I ask you that in many cases these are children my son's age — a fourth grader, a 10-year-old — who just wants to go to the bathroom. And their identity is they are they male or female, and they just go in that bathroom and use it," he added.
Walz, the Minnesota governor, is one of the most prominent champions for transgender rights and gender-transitioning care as legislation restricting access to puberty blockers and gender-transitioning procedures increased across the country.
In March 2023, he signed legislation making Minnesota a sanctuary for those seeking abortion from other states and banning so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.