Tim Walz Helped Gay Former Student Confront Bullies
longstanding support for LGBTQ individuals.Jacob Reitan, who, in 1999, became the first out gay student at Mankato West High School, recently spoke with former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki for a segment during the August 7 edition of her MSNBC show, Inside with Jen Psaki.Reitan, who was one of Gwen Walz’s English literature students in 1997, recalled how, on the first day of class, she informed students that her classroom would be a “safe space” for LGBTQ students.
Tim Walz, meanwhile, would go on to serve as the faculty sponsor of the school’s first gay-straight alliance club, which Reitan helped start.“Both Tim and Gwen were incredibly supportive of their gay students,” Reitan told Psaki.“They modeled values of inclusivity and respect.
And that helped not just me — I was bullied in high school — but it also, I think, helped the bully. It showed the bully a better path forward.“And I can think of no one better than Tim Walz, to to show that better path forward for America.”Reitan continued, “We have had with President Trump, a bully president.
It’s a one-act show with this president. And, all he knows how to do is the politics of the bully. And, Tim Walz will show us a better way forward.”Reitan had previously told The Washington Post how Walz had, at his request, agreed to sponsor the gay-straight alliance even while serving as a football coach at Mankato West — a story that the Harris-Walz campaign has trumpeted on the campaign trail in an effort to appeal to Democratic and left-leaning voters while highlighting Walz’s likability.“He set an example not just for LGTBQ students, but for football players in the locker room, at a time where gay people were not well understood.
