Hey, Coach
I read the press release when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was announced as Kamala Harris’ running mate. A few paragraphs down these words jumped out at me, "At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college and become a teacher. He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance."
Later I learned he decided to be the Gay-Straight Alliance advisor to this newly formed club because he was a football coach. Being the GSA advisor showed his Allyship, compassion, and devotion to the student body. Deciding to be the GSA advisor because he was a football coach showed his character, the courage of his conviction, and his heart.
This surfaced today because my social media feed is flooded with back-to-school pictures. I’ve seen pictures of kids I know well, like nieces and nephews, and those I’ve met through Bursting Through.
I wondered if any of the high school students I know attend a school with a Gay-Straight Alliance. That curiosity is not based exclusively on wondering if self-identified Queer teenagers have a safe space. Approximately 5 million kids have LGBTQ+ parents and know the struggles facing their families. I wondered what that mix of students and their advisors might look like.
As the GSA faculty advisor at Mankato West High School in Minnesota, Tim Walz showed his Allyship and broke down stereotypes. We don’t often see a leader of jocks voluntarily acknowledge the Queer kids, let alone embrace them.
Bursting Through has taught me how much optics matter (even when they shouldn’t). One of the defining moments that drove me to this work was realizing my privilege as a white midwestener with the looks to match. What forced me to accept how optics matter was the kind but hard-to-hear words, “You look like everyone's high school softball coach,” during a business meeting.
Accepting our privilege and how we are perceived can be difficult but can also be freeing and rewarding. Showing up in spaces we haven’t been in before because we don’t look like or think we belong there can be hard. It requires us to tap into new self-confidence and strength of character.
I don’t know every one of you personally but I know every one of you has a loving heart, strong character, and the courage of your convictions. I know each of you is full of compassion and has an instinct to be there for others.
I’m challenging all of us to use our Allyship heart and tap into our inner Tim Walz to do good in spaces we haven’t been in before. Places or organizations where we feel we can connect with people who think like us but are different from us in other ways.
If you are linked to a school system, activate your Allyship and school spirit by getting involved with the school’s GSA if they have one, or start one if they don’t.
If you are a straight Ally not engaged with your local schools, attend an event at your local LGBTQ+ Community Center or offer to read an LGBTQ+-friendly book at your local library story hour.
If you are a member of the Queer Community, invite your Allies into a space they haven’t been to before and make them feel like they belong. Feeling like we belong and are not just invited is important to everyone in a new-to-us space.
You can also gather a group of straight and queer friends and volunteer together for the Harris/Walz campaign. A few hours of door-knocking, making phone calls, or sending text messages together can make a difference and be fun.
We all have a responsibility to ourselves and each other to create the world we want. We get there by breaking down stereotypes we have of ourselves and others, activating our Allyship, and the committing to the courage of our convictions.
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