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Welcome to the May 2025 Issue!
The Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans (MNQT) works for the implementation of economic, social, legal, and political equality for all Minnesotans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or two-spirit.
We're so excited to officially announce we'll be extending our Community Needs Survey through the month of June!
The survey has already received over 4,700 responses from LGBTQIA2S+ individuals across the state. Due to this strong early engagement and new financial certainty from the 2025 legislative session, we will extend the survey through June to coincide with Pride Month and ensure even broader participation.
In addition to our survey, MNQT has partnered with Wilder Research to conduct community conversations with underserved communities and with PFund Foundation to contract with over 30 community partners to promote the survey statewide, with an emphasis on outreach in Greater Minnesota and historically marginalized communities.
The Community Needs Survey is available in ASL, English, Hmong, Arabic, Somali, Spanish, and French, and is open to all LGBTQIA2S+ adults in Minnesota as well as caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ youth. It is confidential, anonymous, and administered by Management Analysis and Development (MAD), a division of Minnesota Management and Budget.
We're so grateful to our many partners throughout the state who are helping spread the word about the survey. And we can't wait to continue promoting the survey through Pride Month!
Read on to learn what else MNQT has been working on! Check out our events to know where to find us in community, follow us on Instagram at @mncouncil_lgbtqia2s or find us on Facebook, and share this newsletter with a friend so they can stay updated with MNQT news too!
With gratitude,
MNQT staff:
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A Note From Our Communication and Outreach Specialist:
Greetings, and a happy end of May to all!
My name is Brittany Wallman, and I am the Communications and Outreach Specialist for The Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans. I joined our small but mighty team at the end of 2024 and have been busy wearing multiple hats and spinning many plates since we all came together at the end of December.
I am excited to kick off our May newsletter with the wonderful news that we’re nearing 5,000 completed surveys! This is truly an astounding number, and when we hit our goal, our survey will have one of the highest response rates in the country compared to other individual state efforts in regard to LGBTQIA2S+ needs.
It’s said it takes the average consumer 7 touch points before committing to a brand for the first time. When I started in December our agency had zero footprint in the digital space outside of our website. Since then, I have worked with our team to connect us to our supporters through things like this newsletter, our social media channels, creating our physical printed materials, helping showcase our 2024 Annual Report, helping build templates for everything creative you can think of, and more.
Alongside that work, I have also helped shape an incredibly comprehensive media campaign that spans both PR and advertising in radio, print media, and digital spaces. Soon you’ll see our June PRIDE advertising campaign alongside Metro Transit in relation to our survey! These campaigns coupled with our team’s efforts to connect with so many Minnesota based partner organizations, community conversations, and organizational scans has led to a tremendously successful campaign so far, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all month long in June!
It takes a village to make such a big splash. And I hope you’ve heard about our survey at least 7 times! If you’re not following along yet, you can find our most up to date news by visiting our LINK HUB. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at @mncouncil_lgbtqia2s or find us on Facebook, and be sure to share our newsletter with your friends so they can be in the know about what we’ll be up to next, too! As always, you can find out more and take our survey at mnqt.info/survey.
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The 2025 regular legislative session concluded on Monday, May 20, without final passage of several key budget bills. While some progress was made over the weekend, many major budget areas, such as health and human services, education, taxes, and state and local government where MNQT is funded, remain unresolved.
Lawmakers are now preparing for a short special session to finalize the state’s two-year budget, which must be passed before July 1 to avoid a government shutdown. Governor Tim Walz has indicated he will call the Legislature back into session once remaining negotiations are complete.
Leaders are expected to meet soon to outline a work plan for the special session. Many of the outstanding issues - such as health coverage under MinnesotaCare and adjustments to paid family leave - continue to be discussed behind the scenes.
What’s next?
- A special session will be scheduled once agreements on remaining bills are reached.
- Lawmakers are aiming to wrap up work before June 1 to prevent layoff notices from being sent to state employees.
- Our Council will continue to monitor developments, especially our agency budget and those related to LGBTQIA2S+ communities.
In the next newsletter, we’ll provide a more robust legislative wrap up!
Statement on Proposed Cuts to MinnesotaCare
The Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans strongly opposes the proposed cuts to MinnesotaCare that would strip health coverage from undocumented immigrant adults. These cuts - made as part of a behind-the-scenes budget deal - undermine Minnesota’s commitment to equity and inclusion. LGBTQIA2S+ immigrants already face systemic barriers to care, and removing this critical coverage puts their health and lives at risk. We urge lawmakers to reject these harmful cuts and stand up for the dignity and wellbeing of all Minnesotans, regardless of immigration status.
What We've Been Up To:
Outfront MN Lobby Day 2025 and HIV Day on the Hill
On May 5, MNQT participated in Outfront MN Lobby Day 2025 and HIV Day on the Hill hosted by Outfront, The Aliveness Project, and Clare Housing.
The day included training workshops, meetings with legislatures, and a powerful rally with speakers from around the state who came to advocate to elected officials about the necessity of funding HIV services.
Our team was grateful to participate in a day that celebrated the dignity of all people while also highlighting the importance of funding HIV prevention, care, and support.
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🌈Find Us At Pride!
MNQT Staff will be at a variety of upcoming Pride celebrations around the state in the next month. We'd love to say hi, so stop by if you see us! Happy to chat about the Council, the Community Needs Survey, or just get to know more members of our awesome community.
Opportunities to get involved:
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Women's Foundation of Minnesota: Join the Young Women's Cabinet, applications open May 9th - June 13th.
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Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio: CLUES Wellness Day on May 29th with free health screenings, services, and family activities.
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United Theological Seminary and Prism: Empowering Religious Support for Trans Lives event on May 30th. Free, but registration required for lunch. Register here.
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Queerspace Collective Youth Leadership Committee: Free Trans and Queer Resource Fairfor middle and high school youth on May 31st.
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Upcoming Council Meetings
Next Regular Council Meeting:
Thursday, July 17th 2025: 5:00pm - 6:30pm.
Next Executive Committee Meeting:
Wednesday, June 18th, 2025: 6:00pm - 7:30pm.
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