Minnesotans United raises $1.2 million to fight amendment

Minnesotans United for All Families, the coalition of groups opposed to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage reported over the weekend that they raised $1.2 million in 2011 to defeat the amendment. The majority of donations came from Minnesota. … Continue Reading

Gay Mormons react to church efforts to pass anti-gay marriage amendment in Minnesota

Affirmation, a group of LGBT Mormons, reacted strongly to the news that the Latter Day Saints were getting active in Minnesota. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints put out a letter to Minnesota’s Mormon temples last week, according to a Minnesota blogger. Affirmation asked the LDS to reconsider its efforts in Minnesota. … Continue Reading

What does Senjem election mean for LGBT issues in 2012?

Republicans in the Minnesota Senate elected Rochester Sen. David Senjem as the new Senate Majority Leader on Tuesday after ten hours of deliberation. Senjem will replace former majority leader, Amy Koch, following revelations that she had an inappropriate relationship with one of her employees. Some see a potential for good news in his election for the LGBT community. … Continue Reading

Neinstedt issues anti-gay marriage amendment prayer

Archbishop John Neinstedt announced on Thursday, a special prayer he hopes will help pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Minnesota’s Catholic hierarchy has been the driving force behind the amendment with the Archdiocese issuing 400,000 DVDs last fall to influence the ballot measure and the church’s lobbying arm, the Minnesota Catholic Conference joining the Minnesota Family Council and the National Organization for Marriage in pushing the amendment. … Continue Reading

Emmer says anti-gay stance cost him job at Hamline

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer says that Hamline University passed him up for a position teaching business law because of his stance on gay marriage. Hamline bars discrimination against LGBT people by faculty members and Emmer has a clear record of promoting discrimination against LGBT, but it is clear from news reports that Emmer is being hyperbolic and that his politics had less to do with the process used to select him in the first place. … Continue Reading

MN campaign finance board dismisses case against Archdiocese’s marriage DVDs

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board dismissed a complaint against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Archbishop John Nienstedt, claiming that DVD’s sent out to influence the 2010 gubernatorial election did not constitute lobbying and the Archdiocese would not have to disclose its donors.

Six weeks before the 2010 election, the Archdiocese sent out more than 400,000 DVDs that urged voters to vote for candidates that supported putting a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2012. … Continue Reading

Minnesota for Marriage pushes “polls” via web ads

Minnesota for Marriage wants to know whether “gay activists” should redefine marriage or if Minnesota voters should define marriage, and whether or not it’s wrong for same-sex couples and singles to be parents in a pair of web ads the group released this week.

One ad, being pushed through Google’s ad services, claims that “gay activists” are trying to redefine marriage for everyone else.

The ad then takes users to a “poll” that asks:

“Do you believe the voters of Minnesota should decide the definition of marriage? Or should gay activists redefine marriage for everyone? Take this urgent poll right now.”

Here’s a screenshot of that page:

Another ad asks if children need a mom and a dad…

And takes viewers to another “poll” that asks them to answer yes or no.

Here’s a screen shot of that “poll”:

House, Senate committees pass marriage amendment

A bill that would amend the Minnesota Constitution to bar same-sex marriage passed to key committees. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee passed the bill on Friday, and the House Civil Law Committee passed it on Monday. In both cases, the bill passed with support of Republicans and opposition by DFLers. Here are a few clips from those meetings:

Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, called the proposed amendment an attack on a minority:

Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-St. Louis Park, asked, “How many gays does God have to create before we accept that he wants them around?”

Madeline Koch, a straight Republican, testified in opposition to an anti-gay marriage amendment.

Sen. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights, called out Republican legislators saying that the amendment amounts to discrimination and called it “craziness.”

Anti-gay marriage amendment offered by Minnesota Republicans

Republican in the Minnesota Senate introduced three bill on Tuesday that would put a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot banning gay marriage in Minnesota. Members of the DFL spoke out against the measure which will bypass Gov. Mark Dayton. National polling over the last few months has found a slight majority of Americans favoring the legalization of gay marriage, but no such reputable polls have been conducted in Minnesota. Here are the Republicans and DFLers reacting to the bills, courtesy of The Uptake:

Brass Rail, Jetset, Twilight in CityPages ‘Best of’ list

CityPages released its “Best of the Twin Cities” list last week and several of Minnesota’s LGBT institutions made the cut.

Best place to people watch: Brass Rail

“The place recently underwent a renovation in an effort to class itself up a little. That effort was more or less successful, so now the stable of regulars is salted with after-work skyway types, disoriented tourists looking for a pre-theater drink, and of course the folks who are coming early to guarantee a seat for the Wednesday-through-Sunday go-go boys. It’s a friendly mix, and never boring.” … Continue Reading