LGBTQ+ life in Minnesota is a chronological collection of stories that provide a glimpse into the history and sometimes turbulent nature of the LGBTQ+ experience in the state. This curation is not to highlight individual Minnesotans based on their orientation, but rather to present voices of and on the LGBTQ+ community…as it relates to the enduring fight for civil rights, societal achievements, and the act of many in attaining acceptance and inclusion in towns, family, healthcare, church, education, politics, arts, and the workplace.
September 20, 2011 - Gays and lesbians can now serve openly in the military. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a policy that's been on the books since 1993 and nullified by Congress in December 2010, has officially ended. MPR’s Sasha Aslanian talks with a few service members about their experiences with the policy.
November 28, 2011 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews James Hormel, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador, about his memoir "Fit to Serve." Hormel details the fight to become U.S. Ambassador was a long and ardous process but he says it was worth it.
December 21, 2011 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian talks with members of a Catholic family about their take on upcoming marriage amendment vote. Maureen Scallen, a lesbian in a long-term relationship, wonders whether the loyalty of her siblings will be tested by a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment that would define marriage as only being between a man and woman.
February 14, 2012 - MPR’s Tom Weber reports that by a 5-1 margin, the Anoka-Hennepin school board voted to revoke its so-called 'neutrality policy,' which required teachers to remain neutral when issues of sexual orientation come up in the classroom.
April 11, 2012 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports that faculty at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul voted on a resolution to oppose the constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, and prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.
June 29, 2012 - As communities across Minnesota debate a constitutional amendment changing the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, MPR’s Sasha Aslanian visits Hibbing to see how residents on the Iron Range are approaching the November ballot item.
July 30, 2012 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports on the differing viewpoints of various Hmong community groups over the proposed constitutional amendment on marriage.
August 2, 2012 - MPR’s Laura Yuen reports on a court ruling out of Hennepin County that recognizes a Minneapolis man as the legal heir and sole surviving spouse to his late partner. The order gives same-sex partners the right to inherit each other's assets, and it could open the door for other Minnesota gay and lesbian couples to access additional benefits of marriage.
September 14, 2012 - With two polls out showing that Minnesotans favor a proposed constitutional amendment that would make marriage only between a man and a woman, opponents of the measure are in the midst of a strategy they think will sway voters. A key component will be conversations with voters designed to elicit compassion for gays and lesbians.
October 25, 2012 - Minnesotans are involved in a passionate debate about marriage during 2012 election season. The two sides began squaring off more than 40 years ago. This project draws from MPR's extensive audio archive to explore the origins of this election day showdown over same-sex marriage.