As monks chanted evening prayers in the dimly lit Saint John’s University church, members of the student LGBTQ organization, QPLUS, were meeting in a dedicated, Pride flag-lined lounge at the institution’s sister Benedictine college, a few miles away across Minnesota farmland.
The corner of Summit and Cretin avenues was active as the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Association took to the sidewalk to celebrate National Coming Out Day on Monday. Jonathan Rosario and Jos Morss has the story.
St. Thomas’ Queer Straight Alliance and Center for Well-Being recently celebrated their one year anniversary of Qmmunity, which has provided students who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community on campus an inclusive, safe space, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporter Josie Morss has the story.
The University of St. Thomas hosted a Lavender Graduation Ceremony on May 13, which celebrated the accomplishments of LGBTQ undergraduate and graduate students. Owen Larson and Lauren Dettmer have the story.
While St. Thomas continues to make strides for its queer community, inclusion is not the same as celebration. Director Mia Laube asks the university to do more to uplift its queer students, faculty and staff.
The Vatican declared Monday that the Catholic Church won’t bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.”
Throughout history, minority groups have fought for their rights and for federal protection. Charles University graduate student Filip Šourek argues the U.S. government needs to establish protections for LGBTQ Americans.
Representatives of LGBTQ groups in the St. Thomas community say they continue to struggle to advocate openly for queer identities despite increasingly tolerant university policies. University Affairs Editor Annie Terry has the story.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company will stage the largest preventative blackout in state history, the White house announced it would halt all cooperation with the impeachment probe, the Supreme Court is deciding whether a civil rights law extends to LGBT people, and the St. Thomas dance team has partnered with Darby’s Dancers. Designer Maggie Stout has this week’s News in :90.
After weeks of looming concern, St. Thomas simultaneously hosted two series of events, Man, Woman and the Order of Creation and Trans Solidarity, Monday with high turnout and low hostility.
St. Thomas celebrated Pride Week April 11-15 as a part of sexual abuse awareness month.
The Faculty and Staff LGBTQ+ Allies Committee organized Day of Silence/Night of Noise Thursday in the Anderson Student Center to connect members of the St. Thomas community.
St. Thomas Human Resources is sponsoring a five-part training series intended to broaden awareness of LGBT people and topics.
Opinions editor Elliot Polsky says allowing people to choose their gender identification is not the solution for people who feel out of place with their bodily sex.
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul received perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2014 Municipal Equality Index, which is used to rate LGBT inclusivity.
