Eleventh Avenue South

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, largely seen around the world as the galvanizing moment for the LGBT rights movement. The Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, were a highly political move, a bold response to police raids of gay bars — including, famously, one at Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn -- and the arrests of gay people. At the time, identifying oneself as gay or lesbian was an arrestable offense. The riots sparked marches in cities across the country, which continue today in the form of Pride Parades, a tribute to those riots.

The Twin Cities will host its 37th remembrance of the events at Stonewall with a parade and festival expected to draw more than 400,000 people. After four decades, has Pride lost its political impact and become just a big party focused more on consumerism than civil rights? Or has it evolved into a new tool for the LGBT movement? The Minnesota Independent asked LGBT community leaders: Does Pride still embody political statement that began at the Stonewall riots?

Jeffry Lusiak, artistic director of Outward Spiral Theatre and curator of Queertopia: A Cabaret Celebration of Queer Love:

I think PRIDE had moved away from its radical roots. In the beginning we were marching in the face of a society that refused to recognize us.. in spite of them. Today, we tend to march more for ourselves, in a glossy-safe-happy way. Which way is better? I don't know. The world is safer for us thanks to our ancestors, but are we making it safer for our children? Are we just ungratefully spinning our wheels, selfishly living in the space cleared for us, or are we living the dream of our predecessors? Time will tell.

What I do know is that there are still fights to be fought and if we have the world's attention for a weekend we better have something to say.

Monica Meyer, public policy director for OutFront Minnesota, the state's largest LGBT advocacy organization:

Forty years ago, Stonewall helped ignite activism throughout the country. While the social context and meaning of Pride has changed since Stonewall, it still plays an important role in the movement for GLBT equality. In OutFront Minnesota's work with people across the state, we are always reminded of the value of bringing people together who are GLBT and supporters of GLBT equality. As an organizer and an activist, I get excited about the thought of being able to reach out to thousands of GLBT equality supporters to talk politics. I know that is not what everyone is looking for at Pride, but we usually get more than 5000 people to write to their state legislators. For OutFront Minnesota, Pride is an opportunity to engage with people and talk about how we build the movement for equality.

Leigh Combs, LGBT youth advocate and host for KFAI's Fresh Fruit:

I think it is different for every person. If someone who has not been out and it is their first time at any kind of Pride event - it can feel like a big deal and political.

The biggest change is that Pride events are more about money -- it's a business-the GLBTQ community being seen as a group to be marketed to. Whenever a movement becomes a business there are all kinds of added issues. We may not have all the rights, but many people in the GLBTQ community have a lot of privilege and we often forget about those that may not. I would say we get comfortable and complacent and forget to fight for ourselves and others. For many Pride is one big party. In my opinion The Lesbian Avengers and the people that bring the Trans March are the closest to a political statement as we get.

Doug Benson, founder of Marry Me Minnesota, an organization working through the legal process for marriage equality:

Pride is still important. When enough people to populate a medium sized city come to a park to join people they share a human characteristic with, it's inherently political and powerful. It's also yummy, sexy and smelly.

Laura Smidzik, executive director of Project 515:

Personally, I think Pride is much different, but in a very positive way. I can only assume that when it began, the discussions and actions surrounding Pride were more heated and controversial and Pride was considered as something that was a spectacle; something only GLBT people would participate in.

But Pride has evolved and has changed with societal context. It is much more family oriented because a lot of GLBT people are free to be more open about having and raising children. Advocacy is a visible part of Pride and is more focused on equal rights and improving quality of life vs. simply being recognized as "normal." Businesses, both corporate and smaller businesses, see the advantage of reaching out to the GLBT community for increased customer and employment loyalty.

I think Pride is a very visual representation of real life for our community and throughout the years has provided a historical lens through which one could view GLBT status in the world. We're much more accepted and so Pride is more accepted. The rainbow flags which adorn Hennepin Avenue prior to Pride is an example of greater recognition. Families are participating. Straight people are celebrating along with their GLBT friends and family members.

Jerry W of the Revolting Queers, a radical queer collective "bent on changing the current political social landscape of the Twin Cities":

Stonewall was a riot, an eruption of the most marginalized elements of the gay community, now it's just a watered down festival. These riots were followed by a series of marches which morphed into what is now know as Pride. Christopher Street Liberation Day and there first march was exactly that, a march, not a parade. It was political and it was intense. Now there is nearly nothing political in the current pride parade. There are giant burritos selling Chipotle, or a giant needle advertising botox, and scores of politicians that will sell queers down the river whenever they get the chance.

A Wisconsin couple was arrested on Saturday for distributing bibles without permission at Twin Cities Pride, Minnesota's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender celebration. After Brian and Doris Johnson, self-described "born-again Christians," were denied a vendor table at the festival, the couple took matters into their own hands and began distributing bibles. When they were told by police to stop because they were in violation of festival rules, the couple continued and were arrested on trespassing charges.

The Johnsons have hosted a table at the festival for more than a decade, displaying models of aborted fetuses and signs with bible verses. While they don't have signs criticizing LGBT people, they would often engage festival goers in heated conversations homosexuality. The couple told WCCO on Friday that they "believe homosexuality is a sin and God has sent them to share that message."

Because the couple often sparked controversy and arguments, the organizers of Twin Cities Pride denied them a table this year.

"It is not, in our belief, discrimination, certainly not," said Twin Cities Pride chair David Hill. "If anything, we're worried about being discriminated against at our own event."

Minneapolis' own Barbie Q landed in the top 100 in Ru Paul's casting call for the upcoming season of Drag Race on Logo. Everybody vote and get the hometown girl on the show!

Here's a great video she did for the audition. Don't miss her playing the harmonica with her, ahem, crotch:

President Obama's Justice Department filed a brief on Thursday to uphold the federal Defense of Marriage Act in a lawsuit brought against the federal government by married same-sex couples from California. The Justice Department's move has angered marriage equality advocates who say Obama is backing away from his campaign promise to repeal DOMA.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund called the brief "egregious."

"Unfortunately, the malicious and outrageous arguments and language used in the Department of Justice's marriage brief is only serving to inflame and malign the humanity of same-sex couples and our families," said the Task Force. "This is unacceptable."

The Human Rights Campaign quickly chastised the DoJ brief calling it the arguments contained within "most alarming" and "grounded neither in fact nor in law."

"Mr. President, you have called DOMA 'abhorrent' and pledged to be a fierce advocate for our community," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. "As we approach the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, it is time for you to use your leadership to translate these principles into meaningful action."

Religious right organizations noted last month that the Obama administration quietly removed all mentions of a repeal of DOMA from the White House website. That move coupled with Thursday's brief has LGBT groups wondering if that commitment still stands.

"The Administration apparently determined that it had a duty to defend DOMA in the courts. The President has just as strong a duty to put his principles into action, and end discrimination against LGBT people and our families," said Solmonese. "We call on the President to send legislation repealing DOMA to Congress."

A Justice Department official told Politico that, like many cases, the department is compelled to uphold laws.

As it generally does with existing statutes, the Justice Department is defending the law on the books in court. The president has said he wants to see a legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act because it prevents LGBT couples from being granted equal rights and benefits. However, until Congress passes legislation repealing the law, the administration will continue to defend the statute when it is challenged in the justice system.

Despite that, AmericaBlog found several instances where previous administrations refused to defend laws they disagreed with.

Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer are suing to have their marriage recognized in other states under the Full Faith and Credit clause of the U.S. Constitution. The federal Defense of Marriage Act blocks legally performed same-sex marriage from being recognized in other states.

I dropped by Thursday's Youth Pride event in Loring Park, yesterday. Around 100 LGBTA kids -- and even a few parents -- milled about Loring Park, listening to their peers sing and perform.

After shooting a group of kids from St Louis Park, I fell into a a conversation with one kid's mother. "That one girl," she said, point across the crowd. "The one who's dancing with my daughter. She came all the way from St Paul, without knowing anybody here, and she's been making a whole bunch of friends."

"For some kids here, this is one of a few chances where they can really be themselves."

The national debate about gay rights hit home in the small community of Pine City, Minn., on Sunday as residents hosted two dueling picnics in the city of 3,000 people. For the fifth year, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from east-central Minnesota gathered to celebrate family and community. And for the second year, their neighbors organized a picnic just blocks away opposing gay rights and promoting "family values."

Several hundred LGBT Minnesotans arrived for food and live music at the VFW hall at Voyageur Park in the north end of town. The theme, "We Are Family," was a nod to the notion that LGBT people are part of the fabric of the larger Pine City community.

"A family is not only one of inclusion, but of values of hard work, respect for others, love and commitment, along with a sense of belonging to the greater community of East Central Minnesota," said Don Quaintance one of the picnic organizers.

The event, Pine City Pride, is one of only two known rural LGBT pride events in the country, serving as an important networking and community-building opportunity for LGBT people living in rural Minnesota.

This year same-sex marriage was the hot topic as four states, including Iowa to the south, have made same-sex marriage legal. OutFront Minnesota was at the picnic providing education on -- and gathering support for -- a campaign to bring marriage equality to Minnesota within the next three years, by which time the state will have a new governor; only days earlier Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who had stymied many efforts to pass LGBT legislation, announced he would not be running again.

"There's going to be a lot of changes in Minnesota," said Sen. Rick Olseen, a DFLer who represents the district. "It's time to be really active and support a governor that supports equality."

An early-announced candidate to replace Pawlenty on the DFL ticket, Sen. John Marty gave a rousing speech.

Marty said he's fighting for full marriage rights for same-sex couples, and nothing less -- such as civil unions -- would be acceptable.

"I don't care what [Rep.] Michele Bachmann and her ilk like to call it. We call it gay marriage," said Marty. "I don't want to tell anyone else what to call their relationship... A same-sex marriage is not hurting anybody else. And that's one of the reasons I'm running for governor."

He added that it took "hateful people like Michele Bachmann" to rally Minnesotans against the LGBT community.

Only four blocks away in Robinson Park, a "pro-family picnic" was being held in response to Pine City Pride.

"The GLBT picnic is being brought in by groups from around the state. If you go to their Facebook group, you can find people asking to be bused in from Minneapolis," said Abe Mach, pro-family picnic organizer and director of the Pine City Republicans. "These aren’t the values of our community, and we want to make that clear. We do not want to this to become the defining event of our city."

Mach said on a Facebook page for the event that he sees the LGBT picnic as an assault on Pine City families.

"The attack on traditional family values is coming from radical homosexuals desiring to introduce their lifestyle to kids in order present an alternative to the natural heterosexual lifestyles they are born into," he told critics. "We simply want to be able to protect our children and families from what we believe to be a negative influence."

Despite the invective, the pro-family picnic was a subdued affair. Children sang gospel songs and at least one politician spoke.

Rudy Takala, a Republican running for the State House district around Pine City, urged attendees to send letters to their elected officials opposing rights for same-sex couples.

"We can make them fear this time of year if we send them letters," he said.

A lone pro-family activist made his way over to the LGBT event. He wielded a large sign that read, "Where will you spend eternity? With God or Satan?" and shouted Bible verses at the crowd.

Sen. Marty acknowledged the detractors.

"We aren't going to allow their hate to ruin our day. This is the pro-family picnic, not the one on the other side," he said. "I'm glad to stand with you on this bitterly cold June day. It's a cold day, but there are a lot of warm hearts. Thanks you for standing up for your community in Pine City."

Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, told the Pioneer Press he's thinking about jumping into the race for governor in 2010. Koering, a gay man, opened up about his sexual orientation in 2005 during a bitter debate over a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Koering said he is "forming an exploratory committee and will be talking to state party leaders, delegates, and community leaders to gauge the possibility of a 2010 gubernatorial run."

Of the other announced GOP candidate, he told PiPress' Rachel Stassen-Berger that, "I'd don't [sic] think they have nothing on me. I guess I get worried that if it is just going to be somebody from the metro area, I guess I'd like to see somebody from the rural area put their hat in the ring."

Koering is a somewhat conservative Republican with strong anti-abortion and gun rights bona fides, but was a supporter of legalizing medical marijuana for terminally ill patients and is against banning same-sex marriage by constitutional amendment, both generally regarded as progressive stances.

He says he can work on both sides of the aisle. "The state is in a critical condition right now," he said. "We are in need of a chief executive officer who can work across party lines to get through these troubled times."

Koering is one of a growing list of Republicans looking to take over for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who announced on Monday he will be not be seeking a third term.

Pentecost was Sunday. I forgot to publish this though it's still a good read. -- Andy

A group of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Catholics won't be receiving communion at the Cathedral of St. Paul this Pentecost Sunday, according to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Members of the Rainbow Sash movement, they will attempt to receive the Eucharist on Sunday anyway, in hopes of starting a dialogue with Archbishop John Nienstedt about the role of gays and lesbians in the church. But Nienstedt had strong words for the group, saying he won't debate church teachings.

Rainbow Sash movement members, LGBT Catholics and friends, wear a rainbow sash each Pentecost to identify themselves as LGBT church members and supporters. If they are denied the Eucharist they go back to the pews and remain standing as acknowledgment of being denied. If they do receive the Eucharist, they kneel as they are expected to.

The archdiocese, which says the group is merely about disruptive protest, released this statement on Wednesday:

The archdiocese has received word that a group dissenting from the church’s teaching on sexuality will be wearing signs of protest (rainbow sashes) at the Cathedral of St. Paul on Pentecost Sunday during the noon Mass. Those wearing such sashes will not be allowed to receive Holy Communion, since they have publicly broken communion with the teachings of the church.

The Holy Eucharist should never be politicized by protesters in this way. Theirs is a sign of disrespect and irreverence to the body and blood of Jesus.

But Rainbow Sash members insist the sashes are not a protest.

"We cannot repeat too often that we attend Mass on Pentecost to celebrate who we are, not to protest," said a statement on their website, which was part of a letter sent to Nienstedt. "We participate in Mass in the same way we do all the other days of the year. But on Pentecost we come out of the closet as LGBT Catholics, family and friends to remind our fellow Catholics that we too are part of God’s loving family."

The group said it only seeks a dialogue with the archbishop. Nienstedt, who also urges other churchgoers to refrain from sharing communion with those wearing sashes, said the matter is not up for debate. In a letter to the group, he wrote:

With regard to the dialogue you request, it would first be essential that you state clearly that you hold with the conviction all that the Church teaches on matters of human sexuality. If you do not believe, then there cannot be dialogue, but only debate. The truths of our faith are not open to debate.

In the past, however, the issue has been up for debate. In 2004, former Archbishop Harry Flynn offered the group communion, setting off a firestorm among conservative members of the church. Flynn said it was part of pastoral care.

"We all stand very strong in our teaching concerning human sexuality, and what is right and what is wrong, and the teaching of the church concerning homosexuality, the teaching of the church concerning marriage between one man and one woman," he said in 2004. "Then as you step away from the strong articulation of the teachings, you get into the pastoral practice of what do you do in some of these very difficult and challenging situations."

But in 2005, he changed his mind and from then on LGBT Catholics who visibly identify themselves as such are denied the sacrament.

Those who identify themselves with the sashes do so for various reasons, as Lisa Nilles found when compiling a collection of responses from Rainbow Sash members on why they participate in the movement's Pentecost observation each year. Many of them were parents or friends of LGBT church members.

"I have a son who is 6'2" with dark curly hair, marvelous design skills, who is a plain old fashioned good person who just happens to be gay," one parent said. "I am tired of 'my' Church ignoring his many qualities in order to focus on the mystery of his sexuality which, because they cannot understand, they chose to condemn. So I thought this a good way to show my unconditional support for him and all who share this mystery."

Another parent spoke of wearing the sash "to celebrate the intrinsic goodness of my lesbian daughter and every other GLBT child of God. If solidarity with the marginalized is perceived as resistance to Church teaching, so be it."

"This is, I think, the fourth year my wife and I attended this Pentecost service [at the cathedral]," he continued. "We are involved in a number of social justice issues and solidarity with GLBT persons is an important extension of that outreach, made more personal to us because we have a lesbian daughter. My daughter is right when she says, 'My folks would be involved even if they didn’t have me because that’s who they are.'

"I am proud of that and will do anything nonviolently to counter the prejudice and bigotry of the Catholic Church."

Speaking at the National Press Club today, Dick "I Cant Believe It's Not Torture" Cheney voiced support for gay marriage! The gay marriage advocates now have the full support of a former Vice-President, most famous for his vehement defense of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," called "torture" by many . I know some people say their marriages can feel like torture, but isn't this a little bit much, Mr. Cheney?

I saw bits of his speech on CNN as I sat here in Minneapolis' Bob's Java Hut, waiting for my laundry to finish drying, and was a little amused to find that the marriage issue got zero mention, either online, or on TV. Perhaps we're old news?

Not quite. The Huffington Post points out that marriage is starting to be a wedge issue in the GOP. With Cheney at the head of the party's dwindling - but more vocal - faction of hard-core conservatives, one wonders how this will play out in GOP ranks, increasingly dominated by evangelical Christians, according to the Pew poll (linked above)?