In a 2017 town hall, Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, expressed his belief that children as young as fourth grade, around 10 years old, are capable of choosing their own gender. Walz stated, “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 that they are male or female.”
At the time, Walz was a congressman representing Mankato, Minnesota, and made these remarks during a town hall at Rochester Community and Technical College on February 23, 2017. The event coincided with the Trump administration’s decision to rescind Title IX changes made under the Obama administration, which had equated biological sex with gender identity under the Civil Rights Act.
“I’m not one of those who gets politically charged,” Walz said during his remarks. “I would ask all of us to try, and I do this for my own sanity and because it’s the right thing to do to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and understand why they’re doing what they’re doing.”
Walz, who had a long career as a teacher in Mankato, added, “There are about 150,000 of our children identified as trans students in our public schools.” He had also served as a faculty advisor for the first Gay-Straight Alliance club at his school, which later evolved into “Gender and Sexualities Alliance” clubs that promote gender ideology and trans identity.
A 2023 study found that nearly 30,000 transgender individuals lived in Minnesota, placing it 14th in the nation for trans population, at about 0.59% of the state’s total population. After Walz became governor in 2018, he enacted a law making Minnesota a “trans refuge,” allowing children from other states to access gender-affirming care in Minnesota.
Walz emphasized his commitment to the safety and belonging of every student in the classroom, stating, “As a teacher, my number one responsibility was the safety, security, and belongingness of every single child in that classroom.” His comments were met with applause. He acknowledged concerns from some people, saying, “I will not minimize people’s concerns. But I ask you to consider that these are children my son’s age a fourth grader, a 10-year-old who just wants to use the bathroom according to their identity.”
The debate over Title IX has been a point of contention across administrations. The Obama administration had expanded Title IX protections to include gender identity, allowing individuals to use the bathroom and locker room facilities of their choice. However, Trump’s Department of Education, under Betsy DeVos, rolled back these guidelines, arguing that the original intent of Title IX did not support this interpretation and that such decisions should be made at the state and school district levels, not by the federal government.
The Biden administration has since reinstated these protections, requiring schools that receive federal funding to comply with gender identity policies or risk losing that funding. This has led to ongoing litigation against the Biden administration’s policies.
While it is unclear where Kamala Harris specifically stands on this issue, it is likely that her views align closely with those of Walz, given their political alignment. The Biden administration’s policy is currently facing legal challenges, reflecting the ongoing national debate over the intersection of gender identity and Title IX protections.