2009: A (LGBT) Minnesota year in review

2009 was flush with interesting LGBT news: Minnesotans marrying in Iowa. Bebe Zahara Benet. Gay Republicans. New gay bars. The following are the top ten stories — in no particular order — that TheColu.mn picked as the most interesting and salient of 2009.

1. While same-sex marriage is not yet legal in Minnesota, just across the southern border, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state must marry same-sex couples. Governor Chet Culver and the legislative leadership rebuffed religious right attempts to ban same-sex marriage through a constitutional amendment in order to block the court’s ruling and for the time being, Iowa will remain the only Midwestern state where gays and lesbians can find marriage equality. Many Minnesotans have taken advantage of our progressive neighbor to the south, sometimes by the busload.

2. Despite tough economic times, the LGBT nightlife scene added five new spots in the last year and a half. While, it opened in late 2008, the year started with Tickles in the Northeast neighborhood getting its feet under it — so much so that the bar moved to Downtown at the end of 2009. Lush Food Bar opened up next door to Tickles in the summer adding an establishment that fills the void left by Boom! when it closed up shop several years ago. Gladius opened in the late summer giving us a new spot downtown and the new Brass Rail Lounge reopened after being closed for a year. In the fall, Club Metro opened in Somerset, Wisconsin, barely making it a metropolitan LGBT bar.

3. Unfortunately, violence and intimidation continued to be the reality for many LGBT people in 2009. January brought the beating of a woman in the Uptown neighborhood and subsequent rally against hate in bitterly cold temperatures. During Twin Cities Pride, a man was taunted by a group of a dozen Somali youth who hurled stones at him in the Loring Park neighborhood. And in December, a group of friends were assaulted in the Northeast neighborhood by a man yelling homophobic and racial slurs. An Afton man woke up to find anti-gay graffiti on his home and Hamline University students were shocked to find anti-gay graffiti on that campus.

4. America’s largest Lutheran denomination met in Minneapolis in August to decide the fate of gay and lesbian clergy. Despite a tornado (which the religious right saw as a warning from God) the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to allow the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy in committed relationships. That move sparked an exodus by anti-gay congregations to form a new denomination, Lutheran CORE.

5. Even with massive DFL majorities in both the Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate, a flurry of pro-LGBT legislation either never passed or was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Of more than a dozen bills, only one was passed and signed: a bill that protects a surviving same-sex partner from losing their home from medical liens when their partner dies. Other bills that failed included the Marriage and Family Protection Act, a bill to allow for civil unions, a bill to allow the recognition of out of state same-sex marriages, and a bill to study same-sex marriage all lost in the 2009 session. One bill that had overwhelming support among legislators was the Safe Schools for All bill which would beef up anti-bullying policies was vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty.

6. Revelations that two teachers allegedly harassed Anoka-Hennepin School District student Alex Merritt sparked protests across the district and in the LGBT community. The Minnesota human rights office found evidence this summer to suggest the harassment occurred and when the report went public, many in the district took to action. One of the teachers, Diane Cleveland is suing the state for disclosing her name. Both she and fellow teacher Walter Filson deny they harassed Merritt.

7. Republican State Senator Paul Koering, who is gay, came out against marriage equality in an interview with a northern Minnesota radio station. He stated he would not vote for a marriage equality bill that was before the Minnesota Legislature. Legislators can’t “waste their time” with “pointless legislation,” his legislative assistant said in a followup. Even the Minnesota Log Cabin Republicans rebuffed his statement.

8. Minnesota’s Bebe Zahara Benet won RuPaul’s Drag Race debut, far outpacing the competition. Now she’s got an upcoming album, a website and a tour that keeps going. RuPaul even made an appearance at Duluth-Superior Pride in September, albeit without hometown hero Benet. The successful show will return to LOGO in February.

9. Gay Minneapolis City Council candidate Charles Carlson dropped his campaign in March after media unveiled a web of lies. Carlson admitted to lying about breakfast with Hillary Clinton, attending Princeton, being British, and officiating tennis at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Carlson later apologized to supporters and promised to return their money. Council member Cam Gordon easily won reelection without any prominent competition.

10. Minneapolis Police Department Assistant Chief Sharon Lubinski is nominated by President Obama to be the next United States Marshal in October. The United States Senate confirmed Lubinski in December and she became the first lesbian (or LGBT for that matter) to serve as a U.S. Marshall.

TheColu.mn Guide to a Gay New Year

Just about every bar in town is having a New Year’s Eve celebration. We’ve put together the most comprehensive list we possibly could to help you plan your evening. Happy New Year from TheColu.mn!

CLUB METRO NEW YEARS!!!

Come on out to the Fabulous Club Metro for a New Years to remember! There will be many many fun activities not to mention an Amazing Drag Show to remember!!!

Our cast includes: Donna Dior, Shamika Dupree, Mama Stevie, Christina Jackson, Leigh Smythe, Suave and more.

There will also be complimentary Champagne during the countdown for you to make a toast with!

Club Metro
223 Main St.
Somerset, WI
(715) 247-3373
www.clubmetrosometset.com

MIDNIGHT: THE NEW YEARS EVE PARTY

It’s a new decade and we’re gonna ring it in with a BANG!!
Everyone knows we do New Year’s right at Jetset…. AS ALWAYS:

***NO COVER***
***MIDNIGHT CHAMPAGNE TOAST***
**COUNTDOWN TOP SONGS of 2009**
**AND THE COOLEST PEOPLE IN MPLS (a.k.a. YOU!)**
**and MUCH MORE**

Jetset Bar
115 N 1st St
Minneapolis, MN
www.jetsetbar.com

NYE – DJ Seth Gold
Champagne toast and money balloon drop at midnight

The Saloon
830 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
www.saloonmn.com

NEW YEARS EVE 2010 VIP Party
Dance the night away w/BeatMD and 100 of your closest friends!

NYE2010 at Gladius offers an intimate retreat from the chaos and
over-crowded venues and will be offering:

-$30 open bar w/wristband on all your favorite liquors. Attendees can
also enjoy exclusive tastings on top-shelf liquor they’ve never had
the pleasure of indulging in!
-A buffet of eats/treats by one of the best bakers in the Twin Cities!
Our dear friend Mr. Mike Walker puts so much love into his baked goods, we don’t need any “special butter” to make us happy! Expect to get the LOVE giggles! We always do!
-NYE2010 wouldn’t be complete without a champagne toast!

ALL VIP SERVICES ARE OPTIONAL. AS ALWAYS, THERE IS NEVER A
COVER AT GLADIUS AND YOU CAN COME IN TO SIMPLY ENJOY YOUR
NEW YEARS EVE WITH OUR EXCELLENT SERVICE STAFF AND A CASH BAR!

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR VIP BOTTLE SERVICE, PLEASE CONTACT
GLADIUS DIRECTLY AT 612-332-9963. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gladius
1111 Hennepin Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN
612-332-9963
www.gladiusbar.com

New Year’s Eve at LUSH

Ring in the New Year at the most LUSHious location in town! The party begins and ends at LUSH with non-stop fun and a FREE champagne toast at midnight to welcome 2010.

The beat goes on all night with DJs Shiek and AJent Orange spinning the hottest mixes until 2am.

It’s an event you don’t want to miss!

Don’t forget there is NO COVER and Free Parking, so make LUSH your number one celebration destination.

Lush Food Bar
990 Central Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
www.lushfoodbar.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2010 with DJ FRAYZ at RUMOURS!
Ring in 2010 with Rumours’ biggest party of the YEAR!

How many New Years’ Eve nights will there be on the night of a blue moon AND a lunar eclipse??? That’s right – we won’t see this ever again in our lifetime!

The party of all parties, DJ FRAYZ helps you ring in the 2010 New Year with an incredible soundtrack to drive you wild and a special set at midnight to ring in the New Year!

There will be prizes, drink specials & the hottest sound & lights show in downtown St. Paul! Party until 3 a.m. and ring in the new year with your friends at Rumours & Innuendo!

Rumours Downtown St Paul Nightclub
213 E 4th St
Saint Paul, MN
www.rumours-stpaul.com

New Year’s Eve at The Brass Rail!!

$10 COVER GETS YOU
- First Drink on Us
- Champagne Toast at Midnight
- Great Music Throughout The Evening
- Party Favors – Hats – Noisemakers .

RING IN YOUR NEW YEAR AT THE RAIL!!

Brass Rail
422 Hennepin Ave,
Minneapolis, MN
612-332-RAIL (7245)
www.thebrassraillounge.com

2010 New Years Eve
Fabulous Drag with the Ladies of Lafemme
Free champagne toast and party favors

Gay 90s
408 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN
612-333-7755
www.gay90s.com

New Years Eve Drag-a-ganza Variety Show

The Town House
1415 University Ave. W.
St. Paul, MN
www.townhousebar.com

Welcoming a new year and new location
Champagne toast at midnight
We will reopen New Year’s Eve at our new location

Tickles
420 South 4th Street
Minneapolis, MN
612 354-3846
www.ticklesbar.com/

New Year’s Eve Black and White Ball!

Come out and celebrate the New Year with your friends at CAMP. Here is just some of what will be going on this night!

8:30 p.m. Live Comedy and Variety Show Starring: EJ Subkoviak, Shanan Wexler, Khari Jackson

10:30 p.m. Metro Jam Band featuring Erin Schwab & Jay Fuchs, a swinging pop and soul dance party.

Midnight Champagne Toast

1:00 a.m. VJ Chris’s Video Dance Party.

FREE cover before 10:00 pm, only $5 after!!

Extraordinary prize drawings all night long!

CAMP BAR
490 N Robert St.
Saint Paul, MN
6512921844
www.camp-bar.net

New Years Eve Celebration

Kick Off 2010 with Your Friends and a Stiff One!! We look forward to serving you on New Years Eve, and helping you ring in the New Year! Champagne toast at mid-night while supplies last, and watching the ball drop in Time Square. It has been our pleasure serving you in 2009, and we look forward to a great 2010!

The Bolt Underground
515 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN, 55415
(612) 338-4214
www.minneapoliseagle.com

Complimentary champagne at midnight

19 bar
19 W. 15th St.
Minneapolis, MN

Pawlenty: Minnesotans should be allowed discriminate against transgender people

In 1993, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, ensuring that nobody could be fired from their job simply for being LGBT. But Pawlenty, who voted for the bill in 1993, now says that because of his evangelical Christian background, that law should be changed and Minnesotans should be explicitly allowed to discriminate against transgender people.

Pawlenty has consistently vetoed any legislation that benefits LGBT people including allowing same-sex partners to sue for wrongful death, beefing up anti-bullying policies in schools and allowing local governments to offer domestic partner benefits. In an interview with Newsweek, Pawlenty — who is widely seen as a presidential candidate for 2012 — said that he wants Minnesota to change the law to protect the children.

Let me ask you about social issues your party has been dealing with. In her book, Palin claims that McCain’s handlers wanted her to be silent about her belief in creationism. How would you describe your view?

I can tell you how we handle it in Minnesota. We leave it to the local school districts. We don’t mandate a curriculum or an approach. We allow for something called “intelligent design” to be discussed as a comparative theory. It doesn’t have to be in science class.

Where are you personally?

Well, you know I’m an evangelical Christian. I believe that God created everything and that he is who he says he was. The Bible says that he created man and woman; it doesn’t say that he created an amoeba and then they evolved into man and woman. But there are a lot of theologians who say that the ideas of evolution and creationism aren’t necessarily inconsistent; that he could have “created” human beings over time.

I know you are opposed to gay marriage, but what about medical benefits for same-sex couples?

I have not supported that.

Why not?

My general view on all of this is that marriage is to be defined as being a union of a man and a woman. Marriage should be elevated in our society at a special level. I don’t think all domestic relationships are the equivalent of traditional marriage. Early on we decided as a country and as a state that there was value in a man and a woman being married in terms of impact on children and the like, and we want to encourage that.

To borrow a phrase, have your views evolved over time?

In 1993 I voted for a bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodation, housing, and employment. That was 16 years ago.

Yes, gay-rights activists regarded you as a pretty cool guy at the time.

We overbaked that statute, for a couple of reasons. If I had to do it over again I would have changed some things.

Overbaked?

That statute is not worded the way it should be. I said I regretted the vote later because it included things like cross-dressing, and a variety of other people involved in behaviors that weren’t based on sexual orientation, just a preference for the way they dressed and behaved. So it was overly broad. So if you are a third-grade teacher and you are a man and you show up on Monday as Mr. Johnson and you show up on Tuesday as Mrs. Johnson, that is a little confusing to the kids. So I don’t like that.

Has the law been changed?

No. It should be, though.

So you want to protect kids against cross-dressing elementary-school teachers. Do you have any in Minnesota?

Probably. We’ve had a few instances, not exactly like that, but similar.

Hate crime hits Minneapolis’ Northeast neighborhood

Violence erupted outside the U Otter Stop Inn in Minneapolis’ Northeast neighborhood early Sunday morning in what victims are calling a hate crime. Lauren DeLand says she and her partner Joe Sullivan and three other friends left the bar at closing and once outside became the targets of anti-gay slurs and fists swung by two young men.

DeLand says the group had a brief encounter with one of the men inside the bar when he asked a member of the group if she would like to buy marijuana from him. The woman declined and the group thought nothing of the situation.

As the group packed Sullivan’s bike into a friend’s car at bar close, the same man asked them for a ride home. When the group declined, the man called the group’s driver a “faggot.”

Sullivan responded, “Do you have a problem with queers?”

The man said “Yes,” and approached Sullivan. Sullivan told the man to step back while Sullivan backed away.

That’s when the man charged at the group and knocked two women to the ground and then started punching Sullivan.

DeLand said at that point a bouncer came out of the bar and and attempted to calm the man down, saying to the group, “It’s alright, it’s alright, I know this guy.”

But the man rushed back at Sullivan and began to punch him again. As DeLand and others tried to pry the man off another man who had been with the first assailant joined in. The two men repeatedly called members of the group “faggot” and “nigger.”

DeLand said that while she tried to assist Sullivan, her leg was broken in two places. She also said that while the conflict continued the group urged the bouncer to call 911 and assist in restraining their attacker.

The group then quickly jumped into their vehicle to take DeLand to the hospital. Sullivan suffered cuts and bruises and a black eye. The other members of the group has scrapes and bruises.

DeLand said they attempted to leave earlier. “We wanted to leave but they kept coming,” she told TheColu.mn. She said the two men were white, in their early twenties. One was about 5’6″ and the other about 5’8″.

In an email, DeLand said she wanted the community to know what happened. “I believe that crimes of this nature are all of our problems,” she said. “I am furious that I will be prevented from living my life to the fullest for over three months, and I don’t want something like this to happen to my friends ever again.”

DeLand said the group is asking the Minneapolis Police Department to investigate the case as a bias crime and DeLand said the group has contacted OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group for assistance.

Sgt. Bill Palmer, a Public Information Officer for the MPD, told TheColu.mn that the incident was being investigated as an assault only, and that a decision would come later on whether or not to label the attack as a hate crime. “There is documentation that homophobic and racial slurs were used in the incident,” Palmer told TheColu.mn early Tuesday afternoon. “The determination of a ‘bias crime’ is up to the state attorney. It’s not up to the investigator to decide.”

Denise Freeman, the owner of the U Otter Stop Inn said she is appalled that this would happen on her property and defended her staff.

Freeman said she doesn’t employ a bouncer but instead has a friend at the door who checks identification. She says that the bartender “heard a ruckus and checked out the back door. By that time, the fight had been broken up and police were pulling up.”

“My clientele has never had a problem in the 12 year’s I’ve been there [at the bar],” Freeman said. “My motto has been ‘we are not prejudiced against anyone except assholes.’”

But she admitted that the situation is upsetting. “I wish I would have been there. I’m absolutely livid over this,” she said. “Anyone who treats anyone else poorly is not welcome in my bar… If this was a hate crime, if there were people coming through my bar looking for gays, I want to know, because I will never let them back in my bar.”

Additional reporting by James Sanna

The Hidden Cameras: ‘Gay Church Folk’ all grown up

It’s been six years since the Hidden Cameras brought their “gay church folk” to Minnesota, but tonight, they and front man Joel Gibb are back! Minnesotans will have a chance to see Gibb and the Hidden Cameras on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry. Show starts at 8 pm.

While “gay church folk” it once might have been, their new album Origin: Orphan departs from that sound. Gibb, always contrarian about what his music is or isn’t (he definitely fits a post-gay definition), rejects labeling his music in just about every interview I’ve read.

You may know the Hidden Cameras from the soundtrack to John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, an improvised film about sex, sexuality and emotion. Their hauntingly beautiful track, Boys of Melody from the album The Smell of Happiness, was featured in Shortbus movie trailers.

Together with The Smell of Happiness, the band’s other albums, Ecce Homo, Awoo and Mississauga Goddamn, convey church music with gay and kinky sex undertones. Listeners will find themselves dancing and clapping along to cheerful tunes only to realize “Golden Streams” is about exactly what you think it is. And there’s little mystery behind “I Want Another Enema.” But don’t get the idea that the Hidden Cameras are just a gay version of Peaches on Prozac; the band hits some serious post-gay themes (“Ban Marriage” for instance).

Here’s a video from “I Believe in the Good of Life,” a track off their third full-length album Mississauga Goddamn.

The band goes much more serious on their new album, Origin: Orphan, released in late September. The album features a darker, psychadelic sound and a real grab-bag of musical styles, but still manages to bring out their old gay-church-folk flavor from time to time.

The album begins with “Ratify the New,” a piece of psychadelica that would feel home on Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. “Origin: Orphan,” the title track is a deep, psychodelic, and in my opinion, excellent song. Other tracks include “He Falls To Me” featuring an organ and a catchy falsetto singalong, “The Little Bit,” a happy tune with mariachi horns, and “Kingdom Come” a moving Elton John-esque ballad. Continuing the mix of styles is the soft and dramatic “Silence Can be a Headline” and the Irish folk song-like “Colour of a Man,” and the plain silly “Underage”, a throw back to what the Hidden Cameras have done best in the past — but this time set to disco beat and horns.

Then there’s In the NA: It’s probably more beneficial for you to hear the song yourself. It’s the only video from the album:

If you haven’t heard the Hidden Cameras, they are very much worth an iTunes download. And the new album is a welcome departure from the “gay church folk” that the band excels at creating. Origin: Orphan demonstrates that they can depart from that formula and still entertain.

Stories from Exile: A short film collection at Lush

“Stories from Exile” is a collection of short films by Erik Janzen’s Red Card Production that will be screened Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Lush Food Bar. Janzen took selected poem’s from Ragan Fox’s 2009 book “Exile in Gayville.”

“I felt a personal connection to these poems, they all relate to something my friends and I have gone through,” Janzen said.

Janzen says the films will be screened at Lush with selected music video played between them. “I chose to use this format for ‘Stories from Exile’ because I want the audience to be able to discuss their reactions to the films. More than that what they liked or didn’t about each piece but how each film relates to them and their friends. ”

Ragan’s book, Exile in Gayville, has earned critical acclaim for its funny, raw and powerful statements.

“Ragan Fox’s multi-faceted personality is on full display here. He’s flaming, he’s serious, he’s funny, he’s angry, and he’s himself. With poems for horrible times, punch-drunk times, and everywhere in between, Exile in Gayville deserves a big audience,” wrote EDGE Publications, publisher of the Boston EDGE.

“Ragan Fox’s searing chronicle of growing up gay is an anguished autobiography composed of poems unerring in their ferocity and their truths,” wrote Patricia Smith, a four-time individual National Poetry Slam champion. “These stanzas, which seem to be scraped directly from the surface of the poet’s skin, are both gut-twisting and impossible to turn away from. No edges are blurred, nothing is held back. Sharpening a creative signature that already sported a razor edge, Fox grants us witness to the crafting of an unapologetic life.”

Janzen will be giving life to those poems — at least his artistic interpretation of that life — with the short film collection. The “Stories from Exile” event promises to be one of the more interesting events lined up this week.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 pm
Lush Food Bar
990 Central Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN

For more information on Red Card Production, visit their Facebook page.

Sen. Franken speaks out on employment nondiscrimination

The employment Non-Discrimination Act was heard for the first time in its 14-year history at a Senate hearing last week. Sen. Al Franken, who sits on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, had moving words about the importance of making employment discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal and praised Minnesota’s pioneering role in banning such discrimination.

Here’s a video of his remarks at the committee:

And the transcript:

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding today’s hearing on this important topic, and thank you to all of today’s witnesses for sharing your expertise.

In preparing for today’s hearing, I reviewed all of the witness statements, and tried to familiarize myself with the ins and outs of the technical definitions, Title VII, the exemptions, and everything else. But at some point, I paused to reflect on this: today, in 2009, in our country, it’s still perfectly legal to fire someone because they’re gay. You can be a hard worker, show up on time, and get exemplary performance reviews, but if your boss discovers that you’re gay or transgender, they can fire you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Growing up, my kids would read in their history textbooks about a time in our country when it was perfectly legal to fire somebody, or refuse to hire somebody, because they were black, or because they were a woman. For them, it was a concept they couldn’t really understand.

I hope that my future grandkids will only read about when it was legal to fire someone who’s gay—not ever actually see it.

Now, most Minnesotans attend religious services every week. Minnesota is home to 19 Fortune 500 companies. Minnesotans enjoy a very high standard of living. So it might surprise some of you that the Minnesota Human Rights Act was passed in 1993. This law protects workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This law has been protecting workers from discrimination for fifteen years, and Minnesota’s sky has not fallen. Minnesota is basically the same as it was before this law was passed with only one small exception—about 20 or so people per year exercise their rights under this law after they are discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Today, we have a chance to extend the same commonsense protections to every American worker by passing ENDA. So thank you again, Chairman Harkin, for calling this crucial hearing.

Franken also questioned the panelists, only one of whom was opposed to ENDA:

Preview: Straightlaced, How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up

How do high school students perceive gender? How do those perceptions contribute to homophobia? And how does gender impact the decisions teens make? A new documentary, Straightlaced, is packed with Interviews with some 50 teens providing a powerful look at the ways that rigid gender roles pervade high school life. TheColu.mn was recently offered a sneak preview of this excellent documentary.

Produced and directed by Debra Chasnoff who has also created Let’s Get Real, a documentary in which youth talk about bullying, and That’s a Family, a documentary about how youth view family diversity, Straightlaced with be screened at the Children’s Theatre Company on Nov. 16.

Straightlaced is fascinating look into the lives of students and the daily struggle to conform to rigid gender stereotypes, the impact of which leads to a host of social problems. Boys admit to having sex at a young age to prove they aren’t gay. Girls starve themselves on strange diets and purposefully underperform in school to maintain a “feminine” persona. Both boys and girls avoid activities they are passionate about for fear of retribution (think boys in ballet, girls in football).

In Straightlaced, we get to hear those students talk about those issues in their own words. “It sad that guys can’t just have the freedom to do what they want to do,” says one student who laments the machismo of sports and the denigration of women that pervades the masculine side of high school culture.

Instead of merely exploring the problems that gender non-conforming students face, Straightlaced allows those students that try so hard to fit stereotypical gender roles to explain the ways those roles constrain them.

Despite the pain visible in many of the students stories, viewers get a look at how things are changing. The courage of some kids to be themselves, dress the way they want, and participate in school activities that are outside typical gender norms, is empowering. For those of us who attended high school decades ago and remember the harshness with which those who didn’t fit in were treated, it is amazing to see how accepting many students can be today.

It’s an in-depth, fun-but-serious documentary that will be an important learning tool for students, certainly, but also for anyone who has ever been felt constrained by gender — which includes all of us whether we consciously acknowledge it or not. Straightlaced allows for some very much needed self reflection on gender, how we perform it and how we can be more open to its fluidity.

Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up
Monday November 16, 2009
7:30pm (Doors open at 7pm)
VIP reception at 6:30pm with the director precedes the screening

Children’s Theatre Company
2400 Third Ave So, Minneapolis
(adjacent to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts)

Tickets: Purchase online or at the door.
Online orders: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/85167
$15 General admission
$8 Student/educator
$50 VIP (screening + 6:30 reception)

Moorhead mulls domestic partner registry

Same-sex couples living in Moorhead, Minn., might soon have their relationships recognized by the city. The Moorhead Human Rights Commission passed a resolution last week urging the Moorhead city council to enact an ordinance creating a domestic partner registry.

While state law prohibits local governments from offering domestic partner benefits, the municipalities can create a registry. Minneapolis has had such an ordinance since 1991, and Duluth and St. Paul enacted ordinances this year. As Phil Duran of OutFront Minnesota explained at the commission meeting, “All of these ordinances are largely symbolic.”

Josh Boschee, president of the board of directors of the Pride Collective told the commission, “It would allow for all families to be recognized in the city of Moorhead… It would create an environment where employers would be able to offer benefits.”

Laurie Baker, a mother, taxpayer and resident of Moorhead urged the commission to draft an ordinance for the city council. “I want to see Moorhead as one of the communities taking the lead in Minnesota.”

The commission passed the resolution and will be sending a draft ordinance to the city council. And just days before a city council election, the issue has become a campaign topic. The vast majority of candidates at a forum last week expressed support for the measure.

Below is a video segment from the Human Rights Commission meeting:

Project 515′s Smidzik to resign

Laura Smidzik, executive director of Project 515, an organization whose mission is to ensure that same sex couples and their families have equal rights and considerations under Minnesota law, announced on Tuesday she will be resigning at the end of the year.

“Project 515′s success over its first years would have been impossible without Laura’s leadership and we will really miss her,” Lee Anderson, Project 515 Board chair, said in a statement on Tuesday. “Laura has chosen an exciting new life direction and we wish her all the best.”

“Meanwhile, Project 515 remains committed to seeking equality and fairness for all Minnesota families,” Anderson said. “We have begun to develop our 2010 legislative strategy, which will build on our success last session. We look forward to another successful year.”

A press release about the resignation praises Smidzik’s accomplishments:

During her time with Project 515, Smidzik managed the organization’s efforts to lead Minnesotans in a broad discussion about the discrimination that exists in Minnesota laws. These efforts have begun to change the debate at the Capitol. The 2009 legislative session saw several advances in correcting the discriminatory language in Minnesota’s statutes, including passage of the “Protecting One’s Home” bill (Chapter 160; SF 1208), which was signed into law. Smidzik also led the organization’s outreach efforts to metro and Greater Minnesota communities and helped its overall support network grow significantly.

Smidzik will be joining the ministry and will begin studying at United Theological Seminary in January. The board has formed a search committee and will begin soliciting for a new executive director in the coming weeks.