February 17, 2003 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on bills that ratify contracts for state workers clearing legislative hurdles. The bills include pay and benefit provisions agreed to by state employee unions and the Ventura administration. But they're missing another provision -- health benefits for same-sex domestic partners. Gay and lesbian groups say removing the benefits is a slap in the face.
March 6, 2003 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on more than a thousand gay and lesbian Minnesotans appearing at the Minnesota State Capitol to protest a proposal to remove sexual orientation from the state's human rights law. They called the bill mean-spirited. The bill's author says he wants to prevent homosexuality from being taught in the schools.
March 11, 2003 - Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum says he'll expedite an ethics hearing on Republican Arlon Lindner. House DFLers filed a complaint today against the Corcoran Republican for allegedly making inappropriate comments about homosexuals and African Americans. They say Lindner's comments have harmed the reputation of the Minnesota House. Sviggum says the Republican caucus also denounces the comments but says he's not sure if the comments rise to an ethics violation. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
May 1, 2003 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that police must suspect a motorist has committed a particular crime before asking for consent to search a vehicle following a routine traffic stop. Len Castro, Hennepin County's Chief Public Defender had argued such search requests were racial profiling tools. Justice Alan Page wrote for the court’s majority decision. Report also includes commentary from Pete Cahill, Assistant Hennepin County attorney; and Rev Albert Gallmon, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP.
July 2, 2003 - The nation's largest private employer, Walmart, announced today it's expanding its anti-discrimination policy to protect gay and lesbian employees. The company said the change in policy was the right thing to do for its employees. The announcement comes in the wake of a number of developments concerning gay and lesbian rights, including a court decision in Canada that allows gay marriage and the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against sodomy prohibitions. Phil Duran says Walmart's new policy is an important step for a large-scale retailer.
July 28, 2003 - Bishops, clergy, and laity of the Episcopal Church will gather later this week in Minneapolis for a national convention, and they're expected to make some controversial decisions. The largest issue facing the church is whether to ratify the election of the church's first openly gay bishop... the Reverend Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Some Episcopalian bishops are warning that confirming Robinson could cause deep division in the church. Reverend Dr. Sandy Wilson is the rector of the Historic Downtown Episcopal Church of Gethsemane in Minneapolis. She's on the line now. That is Rev. Dr. Sandye Wilson, the pastor of Historic Downtown Episcopal Church of Gethsemane in downtown Minneapolis. She will participate in the Episcopal USA Convention which starts on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
July 30, 2003 - The American Episcopal Church is facing a political and theological battle over homosexuality. At issue is the confirmation of a gay bishop-elect of New Hampshire, and the blessing of same sex unions. The two issues are threatening to fracture the Episcopal church during its General Convention being held this week in Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
August 5, 2003 - Minnesotans are getting a rare opportunity to see an exhibit that examines the ways Nazis persecuted homosexuals during the time period between 1933 and 1945. The display at the Y-W-C-A in downtown Minneapolis contains 250 reproductions of historic photographs and documents of the era. The materials come from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum based in Washington, D-C. The exhibit looks at the German law that allowed the Nazis to prosecute gays and other individuals deemed to be engaging in indecent behavior. The law stated that certain people should be penalized because their "vices" would lead to the downfall of the German nation. I toured the exhibit this morning with Linnea Stenson, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for G-L-B-T Studies. Stenson says most people know of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. But she says not everyone is aware that other groups were also targeted by the Nazis -- including gypsies, people with mental or physical handicaps, and homosexuals
October 15, 2003 - Coaches, athletes, and academics will gather at the University of Minnesota today to discuss homophobia in sports. The panel discussion is sponsored by the school's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. Three speakers will address the challenges they've faced as gays and lesbians in the sports world, and suggest strategies for a more inclusive system. Mary Jo Kane is the director of the Tucker Center. She's on the line now. That is Mary Jo Kane, director of the University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. The Tucker Center is sponsering a panel discussion tonight called "Homophobia in Sports: Breaking Barriers by Breaking the Silence."
November 18, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rob Schmitz reports the debate in Rochester over the police department's treatment of minorities.