473px-Al_Franken_Official_Senate_PortraitSen. Al Franken met on Thursday with leaders from several of Minnesota LGBT advocacy organizations, who “applauded” Franken’s work on LGBT issues, including his work towards repealing the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers and his support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

Sixteen leaders from a diverse group of Minnesota providers who work with the LGBT community met with Franken, including PFund, Avenues for Homeless Youth, Bisexual Empowerment Conference, Family and Children’s Service, Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance, OutFront Minnesota, Rainbow Health Initiative and Rainbow Rumpus.

“He left the meeting more aware of the great and needed work of the organizations present,” said Bethany Snyder, Franken’s director of field operations in a press release from PFund. “He is energized to continue to work hard for the LGBT community.”

“I appreciated the opportunity to share our work with Senator Franken,” said Joan Higinbotham, board member for Rainbow Rumpus, a Minneapolis-based publication for children of LGBT parents. “The conversation was valuable for us as well as the senator.”

Greg Grinley, executive director of PFund, a foundation that funds LGBT projects around the Midwest, said, “We are incredibly grateful to Sen. Franken for his support and for taking time to hear about the critical issues our grantees are working on.”