OutFront Minnesota

This ruling is a welcome relief, and a reminder of the power of sharing our stories and voices. As we face continuing challenges to LGBTQ+ rights, our work continues to ensure all members of our communities are free to lead lives of opportunity, autonomy, and full self-expression.

Forward.

Today, the Supreme Court denied a long-shot petition to revisit Obergefell.

A decade after that landmark decision, same-sex marriage equality remains protected. Love is the law.

Everyone deserves access to the medical care they need.

Follow our socials and newsletters to stay informed on more ways to get involved and for details on how to comment on these proposed rules. Save the Date for a community briefing on Tuesday, November 11 at Noon—details to come.

In moments of uncertainty it’s important that we all play a role in supporting providers and ensuring our communities maintain access to necessary care.

We are committed to that work.

To trans youth, families, providers, and all those impacted by this news: We see you, we stand with you.

If these rules are published, we expect challenges to gender-affirming care, even in states where the provision of gender-affirming care remains legal and protected, like Minnesota.

We also expect that any rules limiting best practice medical care will be challenged in courts.

We expect these rules may:

1. Prevent the use of federal Medicaid dollars from being used for medical gender-affirming care treatments for those under 19; and

2. Threaten to eliminate Medicare and Medicaid eligibility for all services at any clinics or hospitals that provide youth gender care.

Gender-affirming care is under threat.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to propose two new rules that would affect federal funding and access to gender-affirming care.

These are not yet published but may be soon.

A thread 🧵

And, even as we celebrate today, we know the work must continue. Opponents of inclusion continue to pressure our state to retreat from the values upheld today—we know this ruling is likely to intensify those efforts. Minnesota must remain a North Star.

Forward, together.

As our friends at Gender Justice note: “​​This ruling reinforces the principle that every person deserves equal access to opportunities and spaces where they can thrive and belong.”

We celebrate the determination and persistence of JayCee Cooper, Gender Justice, and their legal partners.

Today, Minnesotans can celebrate a win for inclusion.

Cooper v. USA Powerlifting makes it clear that in Minnesota, trans athletes are protected from discrimination under the law, but it’s bigger than just sports; it is a reaffirmation of our state’s commitment to protecting all from discrimination.

International Pronouns Day — Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

Pronouns day is usually the third Wednesday in October!

pronouns.org/day

Happy Prounouns Day!

Sharing your pronouns helps normalize the practice and makes it safer for trans people to do so every day. If you haven’t already, use today to add your pronouns to your bio and email signature, and practice introducing yourself with your pronouns!

Program from the gala with Ameera's photo. She is a queer Muslim woman with a tightly curled bob haircut & brown skin. AMEERA KHAN Ameera Sultana Khan (she/her) is a Bengali-American whose faith is shaped by her theological training as a hafiza (one who has memorized the Quran, progressive Muslim and interfaith perspectives, and her personal experience at the intersections of Queer, Muslim, and survivor identities. She draws from Sufi, anti-patriarchal, and liberation theology-oriented traditions within Shari'a, Quran, Hadith, and Islamic history. This includes challenging dominant narratives around commonly cited Islamic justifications for homophobia and transphobia, such as the story of the people of Lot. As a Youth Activist with the Muslim Youth Leadership Council from 2018-2021, she learned how queer and transgender Muslims across the country are reclaiming their narratives. Ameera has shared her insights through workshops, podcasts, and talks on topics like reclaiming Queer Islamic history, Muslim identity, and Shari' a law. She is also an active member of the El-Tawhid Juma Circle (ETJC) Unity Mosque in Toronto and co-founder of its Madison, Wisconsin branch. In her professional life, Ameera works as a DevOps engineer in Minnesota, USA. Outside of work and activism, she is a recovering overachiever, a roster comedian with the Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK), and a self-proclaimed lover of finding beauty glimmering in the bleak and bizarre patterns of life. She believes that, despite it all, humans are fundamentally lovable - and hopes you'll double it and give it to the next person. You can find her online at @SacredPropaganda.

Ameera Khan at the @outfrontmn.bsky.social Gala
reminding us that we are here to be the neighbors we wish we had when we were little.

Support OutFront Minnesota tonight & beyond:

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While we await further details; stay grounded in the facts, center those most impacted, be aware that the ways we understand what happened affect our response to a tragedy.

In this painful moment we reaffirm that we all deserve safety, and stand in support with all those grieving.

We also recognize that some may use this tragedy to continue to target trans communities. We condemn this attempt to divide us in this moment when we should be engaging in solidarity and love to those impacted. Acts of violence are not inherent to one identity or experience.

Violence has no place in our communities, and we condemn these unconscionable actions.

We stand with our fellow Minnesotans in urging care and support for those affected as we come together as communities to mourn the lives lost and support our friends and neighbors.

As Minnesotans of different backgrounds who love our state and the people in it, we are horrified by the terrible act of violence today at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Our thoughts are with the students, families, staff, and community who have been most directly impacted.

The US House is racing to advance a budget bill that will strip billions from essential health care and supportive services; reach out to your Representatives and urge them to vote NO:

secure.everyaction.com/uw_lXgewZEyP...

We will keep moving forward. Our communities are resilient, and we will continue to advocate for our rights and for the care that we need, in Minnesota and beyond. Our care to all who are affected by this decision.

Today’s decision solidifies a fraught patchwork of care access across this country and cruelly denies many families the right to make health care decisions with the expert care providers based solely on where they live.

OutFront Minnesota is deeply disappointed by today’s 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court in the Skrmetti case, which erodes the Equal Protections Clause and upholds a harmful ban on gender affirming care.

We stand with all those affected by these and other threats of harm.

We call on our communities and all those across Minnesota to stand together in this moment, to reject violence, and to look out for one another and for those who serve our communities.

We understand that many other elected officials along with reproductive healthcare providers were among others named as targets. We hope this arrest brings a measure of relief.

Acts of violence like these can affect all of us and we encourage those who need them to seek out supportive resources.

While we await specific details from this investigation, we know that politically motivated threats of violence towards elected officials, healthcare providers, and civic institutions & organizations are all too prevalent.

Our communities know the impact of these actions all too well, only a few weeks ago we honored Harvey Milk’s birthday. His assassination along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone in 1978 is forever part of our history.

Speaker Emerita Hortman was a respected leader, an ally to our communities, and will be dearly missed.

OutFront Minnesota condemns these acts in the strongest of terms - violence has no place in our political process or civic life.

Our communities join all Minnesotans in mourning the loss of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark; and we hold in our care Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette as they continue their recoveries along with all of their loved ones.

This post contains mentions of violence/death.

Tonight, a suspect is in custody in the wake of horrific acts of violence targeting lawmakers over the weekend. Our communities join all Minnesotans in mourning the loss of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark; and we hold in our care Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette as they continue their recoveries along with all of their loved ones. Speaker Emerita Hortman was a respected leader, an ally to our communities, and will be dearly missed.

OutFront Minnesota condemns these acts in the strongest of terms - violence has no place in our political process or civic life. Our communities know the impact of these actions all too well, only a few weeks ago we honored Harvey Milk's birthday. His assassination along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone in 1978 is forever part of our history. While we await specific details from this investigation, we know that politically motivated threats of violence towards elected officials, healthcare providers, and civic institutions & organizations are all too prevalent.

We understand that many other elected officials along with reproductive healthcare providers were among others named as targets. We hope this arrest brings a measure of relief. Acts of violence like these can affect all of us and we encourage those who might need them to seek out supportive resources. We stand with all those affected by these and other threats of harm. We call on our communities and all those across Minnesota to stand together in this moment, to reject violence, and to look out for one another and for those who serve our communities.

CW: violence/death involving elected officials.

Tonight, a suspect is in custody in the wake of horrific acts of violence targeting lawmakers over the weekend.

As Pride Month begins, I’m proud to continue the work of making Minnesota a place where our LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit neighbors are seen, valued, and free to live as their authentic selves.
 
Happy Pride, Minnesota!

No matter who you are or who you love, you are welcome here.

Happy Pride Month, Minnesota!