Tim Walz may have the manner of a kindly, Midwestern dad. But when it comes to protecting the country’s children from transgender medical interventions, Walz is not interested. In fact, he wants the opposite.

Vice President Kamala Harris tapped the Minnesota governor as her running mate Tuesday, prompting scrutiny of his progressive record on everything from immigration to abortion and gender ideology.

Walz signed a cluster of legislation in April 2023 that established Minnesota as a haven for children who want puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or transgender surgeries.

Tim Walz at his signing of legislation to make Minnesota a sanctuary for children who want transgender medical interventions last year pic.twitter.com/mZMyt1VoGI

— Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) August 6, 2024

Minnesota parents have socially transitioned their 6 year old son and are convinced he is a girl. They celebrate the Governor's signing of an executive order protecting their ability to abuse their child. pic.twitter.com/xwkZ48P3kG

— Expose Them (@ExposeDarkDeeds) March 9, 2023

Here in Minnesota, we stand with our trans youth against hateful laws and damaging rhetoric. Our work to ensure all Minnesotans – especially our trans neighbors – are safe, valued, and respected continues.

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 16, 2023

One law Walz signed allows Minnesota to seize custody of a child whose parents refuse to provide “gender affirming care.”

“A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and … the child has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care,” the bill reads.

The same law says Minnesota will refuse to help if another state is trying to remove a child from his or her parents because the parents are subjecting the child to hormone treatments or surgeries.

Another bill banned “conversion therapy,” a vague term often used to dismiss talk therapy wherein mental health professionals help make children comfortable with their biological sex, rather than shunting them towards transgender surgeries and hormone treatments.

“We’re also protecting young and vulnerable Minnesotans from the harmful and discredited practice of conversion therapy. We’re putting up a firewall to ensure Minnesotans have the freedom to make their own health care decisions,” Walz said in a statement at the time.

The previous month, in March of 2023, Walz signed an executive order reaffirming legal transgender medical interventions for children ahead of the legislation.

At the signing, Walz squeezed the hand of a 12-year-old boy wearing a dress who identified as a girl. A six-year-old boy, also in a dress, was in attendance with his parents, who are raising him as a girl.

“For trans rights,” the squirming six-year-old said when asked by a reporter why his family was there.

“Guess what? Love wins,” Walz said at the order signing.

Walz’s lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, wore a shirt with a picture of a knife and the words, “Protect Trans Kids” to the signing.

In May of last year, Walz signed legislation requiring boys’ bathrooms in public schools to stock free tampons or pads beginning in January 2024.

“The products must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12 according to a plan developed by the school district,” the bill reads.

The Minnesota Department of Education has encouraged schools since 2017 to “affirm” a child’s new gender identity, even when parents disagree.

“A supportive school will create an affirming and accepting environment for every student, including transgender and gender nonconforming students and the family’s non-acceptance should not override the schools’ responsibility,” the education department’s toolkit on trans-identifying students reads.

Walz has embraced left-wing gender ideology since at least 2017, when he tweeted in celebration of the country’s first trans-identifying legislator in the Virginia House, Danica Roem, a man who identifies as a woman. He has mentioned “trans youth” at least four times on social media over the last few years.

“Here in Minnesota, we stand with our trans youth against hateful laws and damaging rhetoric,” Walz posted on X last year.