OutFront Minnesota’s 2007 Lobby Day

Last Thursday, April 19, an estimated 3,000 people from across Minnesota gathered to meet with their lawmakers, rally on the lawn of the capitol, and show the collective strength of the Minnesotan gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Yes, it was OutFront Minnesota’s annual Lobby Day!

Friends, as you will see, Lobby Day 2007 was a very colorful and spirited event. And to top it off, the spring weather was just perfect!



Above: The “Would Jesus Discriminate?” campaign is coming to the Twin Cities!

You may recall I discussed this campaign in a previous post. Look out for the campaign’s first billboards sometime in the summer.



Above: Here I be (back row, second from right) with some of the good folks from the Faith Family Fairness Alliance (FFFA).

I was at Lobby Day representing the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), a founding member organization of FFFA.



Above: The young crowd was out in force!

I’ve long maintained that the reason some (older) folks are so hell-bent on passing legislation banning gay marriage as quickly as possible, is that they know full well that for the younger generation the issue of gay marriage is, well, a non-issue! Although I find this to be very hopeful, I also realize that we can’t be complacent.



Above: Darlene White (longtime member of CPCSM and co-founding member of Catholic Rainbow Parents) with her grandson, Keenan.



Above: Members of P-Flag/Twin Cities gather for the 12 noon rally on the steps of the Capitol. Those parents are really something, aren’t they?




Above: This final image is actually from OutFront Minnesota’s 2005 Lobby Day, yet the message it conveys is so powerful and relevant that I feel it’s worth sharing at any and every opportunity. So here it is two years on: still powerful, still relevant.


Images: Michael Bayly.

See also the previous Wild Reed post: Getting the Word Out.