In a classic display of Democratic overreach, Minnesota Governor and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz decided to make headlines with some bizarre claims about Nebraska. Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign gala, Walz boldly stated that being gay is “still technically illegal” in Nebraska. Well, here’s a newsflash—it’s not. In fact, it’s been legal for quite some time, but facts apparently aren’t a priority when you’re trying to whip up emotional support for a progressive agenda.
Walz’s comments were part of a larger attempt to rally the troops for Vice President Kamala Harris’s potential presidency, with promises to pass the Equality Act and enshrine more anti-discrimination protections. Walz painted a picture of Harris as the ultimate LGBTQ champion, ready to tackle healthcare, housing, education, and more. But one has to wonder, with all these promises of progress, why start with a falsehood about Nebraska? Maybe it was just easier than talking about the fact that the Supreme Court already handled a lot of these issues back in 2015 with the legalization of same-sex marriage across all 50 states.
For those keeping score, same-sex marriage has been legal in Nebraska since the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015, so the idea that it’s somehow illegal to be gay in the Cornhusker State is not just outdated—it’s flat-out wrong. And Walz surely knows this, or at least should. Maybe he’s too busy dreaming up new federal regulations to notice the progress already made.
Even the ACLU of Nebraska notes that there are approximately 67,000 LGBT individuals living in the state, and while workplace discrimination protections could use some work, pretending like Nebraska is stuck in the dark ages does no one any favors. But then again, why let truth stand in the way of a good emotional appeal at a gala?
Walz also conveniently ignored the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. So, while he talks about how far we have to go, the legal reality is that much of what he’s advocating for has already been settled. Maybe instead of spreading misinformation, Walz and the Democrats could acknowledge the progress that’s been made—though that wouldn’t fit the narrative of endless victimhood they seem so fond of pushing.
And let’s not forget, Nebraska made history back in 2018 when Megan Hunt became the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the state legislature. It seems like a lot of change is already happening, despite what Walz would have people believe. But hey, why celebrate progress when you can create a false crisis instead?
