Tim Walz targeted by flood of misinformation for his support of LGBTQ+ rights

Photo: Joseph Prezioso Agence France-Presse Tim Walz speaking at the International Association of Fire Fighters convention on August 28 in Boston

Daniel Patrick Galgano – Agence France-Presse and Anuj Chopra – Agence France-Presse in Washington

Published at 7:47 a.m.

• United States

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is facing a barrage of attacks over his support for LGBTQ+ rights, fueled by disinformation that is growing as the presidential election approaches.

But the Minnesota governor’s popularity remains intact, suggesting that some voters are fed up with the culture wars that are tearing America apart, where the race for the White House is set to be tight.

Donald Trump and other Republicans are providing a sounding board for these attacks, including false accusations that he approved a law protecting pedophiles.

Tim Walz is also facing a torrent of disinformation over his legislative record on human rights transgender.

Kamala Harris’ running mate is “very involved in the transgender world,” the Republican White House candidate said contemptuously.

The billionaire’s supporters call him “Tampon Tim,” wrongly accusing him of forcing schools to put menstrual products in boys’ restrooms after he passed a law that would make them available free of charge to “menstruating students.”

But his popularity remains intact. In contrast, the issue of abortion, which is no longer guaranteed at the federal level following a decision by the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority, is mobilizing voters.

“People are getting tired of the culture wars,” Todd Belt, a professor at George Washington University, told Agence France-Presse.

“As the election approaches, they want to hear about everyday issues that have a tangible impact on their well-being.” »

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Problems concrete

According to a poll The Economist-YouGov published in mid-August, inflation is “the most important topic for Americans.”

Asked to name other “important” issues, respondents listed jobs, the economy, immigration, health care, and climate change.

Abortion, seen by many Americans as a culture war, came in sixth.

“Voters want politicians to focus on the real problems facing our country, including inflation, abortion rights, and climate change,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the nonprofit GLAAD.

A March survey found that campaigning on LGBTQ+ issues was a “losing strategy” for candidates.

That didn’t stop both Democrats and Republicans from to make these divisive societal issues strong themes of their campaign.

For now, the attacks seem to be sliding past Tim Walz, who is easily ahead of his Republican rival, J.D. Vance, in the polls.

Among them is the accusation seen tens of thousands of times on social media that he signed a bill protecting pedophiles in Minnesota. Activists hostile to LGBTQ+ rights have long associated the community with pedophilia.

While the legislature of this northern state did remove a reference to pedophilia from the local human rights law, this removal in no way affects “criminal laws relating to sexual contact with a child,” points out Naomi Cahn, a professor at the University of Virginia.

People have also wrongly accused Walz of allowing parents to lose their authority if they prevent their children from receiving gender reassignment care.

A similar post by conservative TV host Megyn Kelly on X-rated social media has garnered over 2.5 million views.

The governor has also been targeted after he signed a law in 2023 that would grant legal protections to transgender people who travel to Minnesota to receive medical treatment that is illegal in their home state.

Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin have had some success in past elections with rhetoric anti-LGBTQ+.

But unlike Democrats on abortion rights, Republicans have had little success mobilizing voters around anti-trans issues in the 2022 midterms.

“It’s not working right now,” Belt says. “People are fed up. You can’t win an election just by being against something.”