Wisconsin BluGold Media takes a look at LGBTQ climate in the Chippewa Valley: In the past year, the Chippewa Valley has made strides in its efforts to strengthen the LGBTQIA+ friendliness in the community. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranked No. 3 in the country on the list of best colleges for LGBTQIA+ students, while […]

Iowa Conservative Christians in Orange City are outraged that the public library lends books with LGBTQ themes, the Des Moines Register reports: More than 300 people have signed a petition to either ban or label and group materials related to homosexual and transgender content in the Orange City Public Library. Rev. Sacha Walicord of Grace […]

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has yet to announce a run for governor despite assembling a campaign infrastructure, is slated to headline the annual fundraiser for the anti-LGBTQ Minnesota Family Council. It’s his third appearance at the organization’s annual fundraising event. Pawlenty will be the headliner at the April 20th annual dinner fundraiser at the […]

Lawmakers introduced a bill last week that would make the gay and trans panic defenses unenforceable in court. For decades, perpetrators of violent crimes against LGBTQ people have used gay and trans panic defenses in order to garner reduced sentences. Often the panic defense relies on “temporary insanity” of the perpetrator against a LGBTQ person […]

Anti-LGBTQ groups are encouraging their supporters to offer anti-LGBTQ resolutions at Tuesday’s caucuses. Meanwhile, the state’s largest LGBTQ group is urging supporters to pass a ban on conversion therapy. On Tuesday evening, Minnesota’s Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor parties will hold caucuses where party activists endorse candidates for office and conduct party business — including resolutions that […]

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Stras, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, in 2010. His appointment by President Donald Trump has come under criticism from LGBTQ advocates. Sharon McGowan, Director […]

Rep. Mary Franson is taking heat for an anti-transgender tweet she sent out shortly after several transgender candidates won Tuesday night — including the victories of Andrea Jenkins and Philippe Cunningham for the Minneapolis City Council. The tweet was flagged by City Pages’ Mike Mullin on Thursday afternoon and soon Franson was deluged with negative […]

Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cuningham won their bids for Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday, making them the first two transgender people of color elected to a major city’s governing body. Jenkins won the seat occupied by Elizabeth Glidden. Jenkins worked for Glidden as a policy aide and has been a leader on transgender issues at […]

Minnesota’s elected officials — all DFLers — were among hundreds that sent amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court, urging the court to reject the religious right arguments in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop refused to sell a wedding cake to David Mullins and Charlie Craig. The Colorado […]