GLBT Issues

Sen. 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.

You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, the front group for the punk rock ministry of Bradlee Dean, took his brand of fundamentalist Christianity to a DFL gubernatorial meet-and-greet several weeks ago to confront Sen. John Marty about his support for “sin” and homosexuals. Dean and fellow group frontman Jake McMillian repeatedly asked Marty about [...]

A prominent pastor and GOP activist says Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature are blocking a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in order to save face in the 2010 elections. Pastor Brad Brandon, who was a staffer for former Senator Rudy Boschwitz, sent out an appeal to his radio show listeners to pressure the Republican Caucus [...]

Three bills that would assist same-sex couples in the event of one partner’s death were passed by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Legislators recalled stories of couples who underwent hardships because of inequality in the law, while Tom Prichard of the Minnesota Family Council called the bills “discriminatory” and said they are “unfair to married couples.”

On Monday, the Minnesota Family Council and several GOP lawmakers held a press conference announcing their intent to push for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships in Minnesota. MFC warned that same-sex marriage could be legal in Minnesota as soon as next year, citing legislation and comments by Sen. John [...]

State Sen. Mee Moua said some who testified at a Mar. 2 hearing on gay marriage were so “fixated on the sex-making aspects” that they missed the spirit of the bill. But here’s another aspect of recent hearings on the topic that hasn’t been examined: Tuesday’s statement by Janet Boynes was nearly identical to one by Barb Davis White. One difference: Boynes didn’t repeat White’s claim that “Rosa Parks didn’t move to the front of the bus to support sodomy.”

Sen. Al Franken is among 16 senators calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end the ban on blood donations by gay men. In a letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Thursday, the senators called the policy “medically and scientifically unsound” and called out the double standard placed on gay men who [...]

Gay marriage will get another hearing in the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear three bills that deal with the issue. Like their counterparts in the House, the bills will be introduced and testimony heard, but no vote will be taken.

For the first time in Minnesota history, a legislative committee contemplated the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state on Monday. And while gay and lesbian families shared moving testimony about the hardships their families face because they cannot marry, a duo of congressional candidates stole the show with controversial commentary on gays and lesbians.

LGBT advocates are calling an upcoming Minnesota House committee hearing on same-sex marriage “historic.” The hearing, to be held Monday afternoon, will be the first time same-sex marriage will be discussed in a committee hearing without the specter of a constitutional ban on gay marriage — a measure Republicans have tried for years to pass.
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