Chosen by Kamala Harris to be her Vice President and running mate, Tim Walz immediately added some bite and vigor to an already enthusiastic ticket. He was an early favorite of Andy’s, thanks to his down-to-earth way of speaking and blunt way of dismissing the likes of that now-wonky Republican Party (he’s credited with coining the ‘weird’ designation of Trump and his cronies, all of whom more than live up to the billing on a daily crazy basis). Today he earns his first Dazzler of the Day, because way back in 1999 as a high school teacher and football coach, he helped form his high school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance, providing support and help for LGBTQ+ students, and a vital illustration of allyship at a time when we hadn’t even heard of the word. If a football coach had ever done that when I was in school, I can’t imagine how different things might have been.
