I wanted to be sure you saw the latest from the Pioneer Press about Minnesota GOP AG candidate Doug Wardlow’s anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and behavior including reports that Wardlow bullied and harassed classmates for being gay in high school.

Here what you may have missed from the Pioneer Press:

Republican attorney general candidate Doug Wardlow’s record of opposing some gay rights dates back years.

For Ryan Durant, a former high school classmate, Wardlow’s views aren’t just a question of policy. They’re personal.

Durant remembers Wardlow as a high school bully who repeatedly harassed him for being gay — and as the person who mocked him after he attempted suicide in the 10th grade. Both Durant and Wardlow attended Eagan High School and graduated in the class of 1997.

In an account corroborated by several other students, Durant, 39, alleges that Wardlow, who is now 40, bullied him for years because of his sexual orientation. He said Wardlow made phallic remarks about him playing the flute in band. He said Wardlow called him derogatory terms like “fag” and “faggot,” and then escalated to more personal insults such as “people like you should be shot.”

Among the classmates corroborating the account is a former friend of Wardlow’s who said he also participated in the bullying.

….

The Pioneer Press spoke with several classmates who corroborated Durant’s claims, said they knew of bullying by Wardlow, or said they themselves were harassed by Wardlow.

Jason Kopp, who said he was a close friend of Wardlow’s at the time, said he and Wardlow harassed Durant because of his sexual orientation.

Another classmate, Sarah Beaulieu, said Wardlow bullied her often, calling her derogatory names like “slut” and “dyke” even though she was not gay. She also recalled seeing Wardlow harass Durant, who was her friend, on multiple occasion.

For the full Pioneer Press story, check out the link here.

These latest reports about Wardlow match his extreme views and anti-LGBTQ work record. In fact, Wardlow earned the nickname from a local Minnesota outlet, City Pages, as Minnesota’s ‘throwback homophobic candidate’ due to his consistent history of attacking LGBTQ people and attempting to undermine policies that advocate equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

For the last four years, Wardlow has served as legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a well-known anti-LGBTQ hate-group. He penned a misogynistic and religiously extreme far-right blog while he clerked at the Minnesota Supreme Court. Wardlow has also been criticized by faith leaders for distributing immensely Islamophobic mailers across Minnesota homes.

In 8 Days, Minnesotans have the opportunity to vote against Wardlow’s hateful agenda. Doug Wardlow’s religious intolerance, history as a bully, and history of supporting outdated and often violent anti-LGTBQ policies do not put Minnesota first—and they have no place in the office of the Minnesota Attorney General.