Transcripts

SPEAKER 1: Gay and lesbian community leaders say the North Star survey is a snapshot of the homosexual community, clearing up any misconceptions people may have about them. Ann DeGroot is the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Action Council.

SPEAKER 2: What I think the survey says to the majority community is, we're here, we're active. We're going to continue to be active. We're healthy people. We're happy people. And we like it here. If I would have to use one word, I would say it sends a message of visibility.

SPEAKER 1: DeGroot says the survey shows a community that is comfortable with its sexuality. 78% of the gays and lesbians said their friends and family knew they were homosexual. And over half said they were aware of their sexual identity before they were 13 years old. But a majority of those surveyed said discrimination was a part of their lives. 76% reported emotional or physical abuse, rejection by friends and family, harassment, and employment discrimination.

Laws in Minneapolis and Saint Paul protect people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation. But gays and lesbians say they still have virtually no legal protection against discrimination. Ann DeGroot says she and other leaders will lobby for changes in laws and public policy that protect people based on their sexual orientation.

SPEAKER 2: I think repeal of the state's sodomy statute is a priority for gays and lesbians in Minnesota, also for heterosexuals. I think that inclusion of sexual identity and orientation in the state Human Rights Code is critical.

SPEAKER 1: Leaders are also pushing for a domestic partners law, giving gay and lesbian couples and non-married heterosexual couples the same benefits as married couples. The city of Minneapolis is trying to get such a law on the books. DeGroot says the survey also points to the need for schools and other organizations serving young people to provide more counseling for youth who are discovering their sexual identity. Brian Coyle of the Minneapolis City Council says the survey reveals a gay community that is politically active.

SPEAKER 3: Whether you're working in direct action, legislative lobbying, or just daily life issues-- which for me, things like domestic partners have an enriching quality because it actually fits my constituents out there in the sixth ward-- I just think you're going to see even more activity from people, again, because as that survey shows, they're confident, they're out, they're not going away, they're not going to be silenced.

SPEAKER 1: The survey comes a day before the start of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Conference in Minneapolis. I'm Donna Nicholson reporting.