AN OASIS FOR ALL
In Greater Palm Springs, every traveler belongs. Explore a vibrant oasis where inclusivity and individuality shine beneath endless blue skies — and mark your calendars for November 6–9 to join us for Greater Palm Springs Pride, an annual celebration of love, joy, and community.
2025 Twin Cities Pride Festival Preview
Volume 30, Issue 784 • June 12-25, 2025
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“I love hearing the students’ stories, watching their excitement, seeing them put themselves out there. It didn’t really occur to us that philanthropy would become something we’d be actively involved in. We get to see that impact now.”
JIM ST. GEORGE, BA ’87 (left), who with his husband, Mark Sullivan, have made current-use and estate gifts to learning abroad, music, and theater programs at the University of Minnesota
Make your own charitable giving plan
There are many ways to support the University of Minnesota cause that’s important to you, including through an estate gift. Check out the University of Minnesota Foundation’s free customizable gift calculator or talk to a gift planning expert to discuss your giving options.
z.umn.edu/future-giving Whatever your passion, we can help you create your legacy.
NOAH MITCHELL
The Purple Press Previews Pride
Welcome to Lavender’s Twin Cities Pride Preview issue! We have everything you need as you make your preparations — festival map, vendor listings, et cetera — plus a preview of the new Stronger Together parade unit.
Beyond participating in the parade and festival this year as normal, I’d like to encourage you to give extra consideration to making a donation to Twin Cities Pride this summer in light of the funding deficit they’re currently facing. Donations support not only the parade and festival but also TC Pride’s year-round programming, including the new Pride Cultural Arts Center you may have read about in a previous issue of Lavender.
In addition to our Twin Cities Pride preview content, we have a smorgasbord of theater previews ahead of the summer season: “Cabaret” at the Guthrie, “A Pink Triangle” at the Phoenix Theater and four different shows at the Minnesota Fringe Festival.
If that’s not enough to fill your calendar, keep an eye out for the debut of the Steve Lenius and Andrew Bertke History Collection at Twin Cities Leather. Full details are in our preview story in this issue, but I’d like to personally emphasize what an honor it is to Lavender to have longtime columnist Lenius be one of the namesakes of the exhibit.
I’ve put more than enough on your plates, and I won’t hold you up any longer. Happy Pride, enjoy the festival and anything else you have planned for the next two weeks! I’ll be back in July with another issue of Lavender that will be much better for your post-Pride hangover headache than staring at your phone.
Lavender has updated two articles from Issue 782 Summer Preview, “‘Dance or Die’ — To Minneapolis Choreographer Matthew Janczewski, Biology Is Not Destiny” and “Oh, What Beautiful Sights, Beautiful People and Beautiful Community — Get Ready for WorldPride DC/Alexandria!” to correct mistakes. Details on the corrections are listed at the end of each article online.
Loring Park in autumn. Photo courtesy of BigStock/AMB-MD Photography
BY E.B. BOATNER
Can ‘I Do!’ Hold Forever?
The fourth Bob & Marcus mystery I read recently so perfectly and fully fulfilled the “You won’t be able to put this down!” claim that upon finishing, I immediately reached for the first of H.N. Hirsch’s four. Herewith my suggestion for an excellent four-score summer read.
Hirsch’s teaching history encompasses Harvard, UC-San Diego, Macalester College and Oberlin, a credible background for his comprehension of the byzantine politics and Olympian egos at play in these academic groves. Marcus is now an academic, while Bob, following family mentors, practices law. But first, they had to meet. By starting in the mid-1980s, Hirsch can both present current problems by proxy, while giving the reader a foreknowledge advantage of eras through which Bob and Marcus have yet to live.
“Shade” introduces young Harvard Assistant Professor Marcus George. Lonely. Dismayed by the university’s arcane hurdles for tenure seekers. A former student requests they lunch; he has a question. They meet, but the boy, from a monied Beacon Hill family, remains mum, saying he’ll meet Marcus at the Maine resort where both are headed (separately) on break. But there, the student is found dead, shot overlooking the beach. Marcus questions the roommate, a stranger, who
can offer only the lad’s cryptic, “The answer’s in the papers,” indicating a stack of research folders. Marcus pursues; the trail leads back to Harvard, to Boston’s monied elite; plagiarism is implied, reputations — Harvard’s itself not the least — possibly impugned. The law student roommate’s name: Bob Abramson. That Bob. They click; series underway.
“Fault Line.” It’s 1985, the pair’s moving to California. Bob, 25, has passed the bar, joined the DA’s office in San Diego. Marcus (no Harvard tenure) will teach at UC-San Diego. Bob’s first assignment: leading the investigation into the mayor’s husband’s murder. Bob uncovers layers of governmental corruption, as well as an interconnected gay subculture with its own dark side. Hirsch’s layered presentation of unsavory factors at play, even in one’s chosen profession, adds grit to the characters who must deal with reality while wishing only to lead a “normal” life together. Scores of the cast coulda’ done it; you’ll turn pages ‘til you know.
“Rain” finds Marcus asking Bob, now moved to private practice, to defend — or offer legal advice to — Kenny Glick, an academic advisee who’s been accused by the victim’s wealthy family of causing their daughter’s death. First declared
“accidental,” the case has been reopened at their instigation. Bob tries to get a straight story from Kenny, but his changes and omissions are unsettling, while a revelation of the victim’s perverse sexual habits is explained by Kenny as her researching a “variety of experiences” for her acting career. Beyond the sordid sex-for-money scene among the wealthy that’s emerging, Bob finds no actual case against Kenny with the facts he’s been given. Family life goes on; Bob’s mom undergoes surgery, and his sister-in-law announces her second pregnancy. Bob and Marcus discuss adopting. The reader is drawn into the family concerns. Kenny’s case goes to trial, and “Rain” ends with a jolt that lingers.
The recently-released “Winter” opens on a funeral. You feel the loss; these folks are family now. There’s gain as well, over time. Bob and Marcus’ daughter Lily, adopted from China, is now 11. Bob is struggling with the recent death in his family and is about to turn 40. Marcus, stopping by the UC-San Diego campus, discovers a colleague’s corpse in the mailroom. Overshadowing all is a breach that threatens Bob and Marcus’s hard-won stability.
A sunburn-proof quartet: no bored falling asleep under the sun guaranteed.
Our Mission is to End Veteran Homelessness in Minnesota
BY LINDA RAINES
Terrance Griep
Where did you grow up, and what was that like?
My earliest years were spent as a Navy brat. My parents were both native Minnesotans, but I was born in Naval Submarine Base New London’s hospital. My first memories are of nearly being swept out to sea. Things got wilder from there.
Describe your perfect day.
I measure my time in weeks, not days. Ideally, I write no fewer than 12 hours, six days a week. Hopefully, I can spend a few hours with family and friends during the weekends. After I do, it’s right back into the word mines I go. Most people would go nuts working such a schedule, but since I’m already nuts, it works for me. Oh, and I’m one of those weirdos who likes spending time at the gym, so that’ll factor in somehow.
How long have you been a writer, and how’d you get into it?
I started trying to get professionally published while still in college at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After many, many unfulfilled solicitations, I finally got my first assignment from a California-based comic book publisher called Heroic Publishing. I’ve written dozens of stories for them, including two which guest star my wicked professional wrestling alter ego, Tommy “The SpiderBaby” Saturday. For DC Comics, I’ve written Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the Riddler, the Question and Scooby-Doo. In 1999, I first enquired about writing for Lavender Magazine… and I was rejected! Eventually, persistence (and a fortuitous editorial change) saved the day.
What are you reading/watching/listening to these days?
Whenever I drive, I listen to audiobooks. Currently, I’m enjoying “The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla” written by Stephen King and read by George Guid-
all. The two before that were “The Haunting of Hill House,” written by Shirley Jackson and read by Bernadette Dunn, and “Blood Meridian,” written by Cormac McCarthy and read by Richard Poe. If you find Stephen King’s work distressing, be sure to steer clear of Cormac McCarthy’s stuff!
Who or what inspires you?
Superman. Lord Acton tells us, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Even though I freely acknowledge that the Man of Steel is fictional, I love the notion of someone who possesses absolute power and is corrupted not at all. These days, it feels like everyone and everything is corrupt or corrupted or corrupting — it’s inspiring to find one dependable exception.
Favorite qualities in another person?
In every relationship, I insist on being the craziest person. Also, I prefer spending time with people who are well-read — they receive bonus points if they’re fans of King, Jackson and McCarthy.
Least favorite?
A lack of personal responsibility. No one likes to own mistakes, but that’s where personal power lies.
Where’s your happy place?
Honestly, in my home office, tickety-tapping on my boardety-keying. As an homage to Superman, I call it my Fortress of Solitude.
What is your motto?
“Different strokes for different folks.” The biggest problems in this world are all caused by people telling other people how to live. Well, that and greed. Life isn’t always fair, but it’s always life … so get out there and stroke it!
Photo courtesy of Terrance Griep. Spiderbaby. Photo by John Swagonwheels Olson
CARLA WALDEMAR
Goodness Glaciers
While you were basking in Minnesota’s recent, unprecedented balmy weather, decked out in shorts and sandals, I was zipped up to my chin in wintry fleece while braving the Arctic seas, viewing behemoth glaciers muscling their way through bleak, black mountains under snow-capped pinnacles.
I was one of the 900 passengers, tended by a honey of a crew of 500, aboard Viking’s ocean cruise ship Venus on a month-long sail from Tokyo to Vancouver, guided by the ship’s expert lecturers on the region’s geology, history and wildlife. (Though other passengers gazed avidly at black bears, orcas and humpback whales and such, the closest I got to spotting exotic critters — near-sighted eyes — were dinner tables of Canadians.)
I began each day with a fast march round and round the outer deck (four laps to a mile), sipping a cappuccino foamed for me with a “Good morning, Madam Carla” from the barista who knew my name and cabin number, and probably my blood type, by day three. I followed up with a Salmon Benedict for many a breakfast, alternating with lamb chops aside scrambled eggs. (Lamb chops for breakfast? You bet. That’s the way Viking coddles its guests.)
Wine and beer are gratis at mealtimes, and the menus change daily, with nary a repeat: lots of lobster, crab and shrimp as well as everything from pot roast to prime steaks. And that’s just at the main restaurant. Specialty dining rooms reign, too — from Scandinavian to Italian fare.
At each port stop, a free excursion is included. (Enthusiasts may purchase additional ones, such as animal watching.) In Tokyo, our bus patrolled the famed glitzy Ginza area, then proceeded to the grounds of the royal palace for a photo op.
Traveling next to Sapporo, Japan, site of the 1972 Winter Olympics and today a museum in its honor, we could view a ski jump that seemed more like a death wish than a sports venue, and then simulate our own course down its slope, bending knees and grasping bars as a machine charts our “speed”
and “jumping skills.” We then proceeded to the park-like setting of an ornate Shinto temple, where we joined local aspirants in placing paper wishes and ribbons to catch the gods’ attention.
Then, a string of restful, wonder-inducing days at sea as we sailed north along the Russian coast, then veered east toward North America, cruising along the string of Aleutian Islands on our way and crossing the International Date Line, which afforded us an extra day — Saturday followed by another Saturday — and a certificate to verify our new bragging rights.
I quickly learned to love these at “at sea” days, letting the hours, and waves, flow past as I idled on a chaise longue aside a window wall, enjoyed a proper daily English tea time (complete with scones) and poked at the library shelves that dotted cozy alcoves here and there. Others played cards, fitted out jigsaw puzzles, scheduled massages, walked the deck or dozed, until time
Alaskan Shoreline, relaxing aboard the Viking Venus.. Photos by Carla Waldemar
for dinner — no assigned tables or time slot, unlike the giant “floating city” ships we sidled up next to in various harbors. We chatted, by choice, with a different twosome every meal (guests from San Diego to San Antonio to Sanibel and beyond). Dinner was followed by a full-out musical revue in the theater nightly, but I confess to preferring to snooze in our stateroom.
Alaska! At last, we caught sight of land and our first stop, Kodiak. Russians had landed here long before us, and today an iconic Russian Orthodox church welcomes visitors to admire its glittering icons. We also had plenty of time to visit the town’s history museum — the oldest wooden building still existing in Alaska, where the native population fought off the invading Russians in 1784 (and lost) — a story unfolded by artifacts inside the structure. In the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Center, we encountered a taxidermist’s Kodiak brown bear (the largest in the world) and, even bigger, the skeleton of a mammoth whale.
Homer, up next, was founded in 1904 by (guess who?) a smooth operator named Homer, “The most talented con man on the continent” — a gold rush newcomer who won out not by discovering gold, but rather “black gold,” aka oil. Today, Homer’s Pratt Museum relates how weather influences life in this town, such as the 1912 earthquake-cum-tsunami. An exhibit exhorts, “Tell us your storm stories,” and relates “What It Takes to Catch Fish.” Amble further down the road to poke into local art galleries (and more stories). Alas, Alice’s Champagne Palace has seen better days and remains padlocked.
Today we dock at Seward, pop. 3,000, anchoring in Resurrection Bay to view the Alaska Sea Life Center, where critters, from tanks of starfish to sea otters and giant seals, slither and dive as visiting schoolkids squeal.
It’s followed by Valdez, the town infamous for that massive Exxon oil spill and also the Good Friday earthquake of 1966, and the rebuilding each event has hosted. Its History Museum showcases Native artifacts, including a paper-thin parka fashioned from bear gut and brightly painted hunting vi-
Continued on page 16
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Interior of a Russian Orthodox Church in Kodiak
sors. Walk a mile or so further to the Whitney Museum with its excellent portrayal of Inuit life, complete with whimsical-to-scary masks, moose antler furniture and totem poles.
On the sea day that follows, we arrive at Glacier Bay — the very reason many customers signed on for this trip. We sidle along one massive icy façade after another, rising as high as a five-story building, I’d guess, marveling at their stately power. These glaciers are framed by muscular silhouettes of mountains under their snowy toupees. The captain pauses the ship to allow for scads of photographs before we sidle slowly onward.
It’s raining when we land in Sitka, but then, that’s to be expected: the dripping town of 4,000 receives eight feet of rain a year. We ambled toward its petite domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral, cosseting its precious icons, then to a Native totem pole overlooking Recession Bay. As we set sail once again, dolphins performed acrobatic leaps under the arc of a brilliant rainbow.
At Skagway, our next stop, a pair of mega-ocean liners dominated the skyline as we hiked the town’s Main Street, which could star as a movie setting depicting the wild, wild West, in search of souvenirs. Jumping aboard a tour bus, we sped along the scenic highway into Canada, passports in hand for the Mounties’ inspection. Against the backdrop of a spiky mountain range carpeted in Sitka spruce and Western hemlock, we passed signs warning of an Avalanche Alert.
Tracing the coast of the Inside Passage, at landed, at last, at Vancouver, ready (but not eager) to bid farewell to our ship and our many new friends, grab our bags and depart for home.
When you, too, are in the mood to marvel at majestic Arctic scenery and follow the path where gold miners once trod, check out Viking Ocean Cruises’ North Pacific Crossing journey at vikingcruises.com and start packing. FYI: Viking Venus hosts an LGBT cocktail gathering (a dozen people showed up on my cruise) as an icebreaker on this icy ocean voyage.
‘We don’t survive unless we have a sense of humor’ — Four
LGBTQ+ Productions to see at Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025
From an improvised sapphic game show to a high-energy musical about death starring children, these LGBTQ+ Fringe productions showcase the nuances of queer joy with humor and heart
At the time of publication, there are only about six weeks until the 32nd Minnesota Fringe Festival, the largest performing arts festival in the Midwest.
From July 31 to August 10, 99 total shows will be performed on stages across the Cities in a collective celebration of fringe theatre, or theatre produced outside of major institutions that often employs non-traditional styles and subject matter.
Minnesota Fringe executive director Dawn Bentley says the festival is “the fertile ground where new and experimental theatre can be developed.”
The festival showcases new and unique queer productions every year, something Bentley says is important now more than ever.
“People in positions of power are trying to make [queer people] disappear,” she says. “Now more than ever, I want them to know that they are safe, and that they won’t disappear to us.”
Even as LGBTQ+ rights are being eroded, artists in this year’s Fringe Festival recognize the importance of showcasing queer joy and, in classic Fringe fashion, they are doing so in unexpected and exciting ways.
Lavender spoke with the production teams of four LGBTQ+-led shows in this year’s Fringe, must-sees in the making that are just a taste of what the festival has to offer.
To stay up-to-date about this year’s Fringe Festival, follow @mnfringe on Instagram or sign up for their newsletter at minnesotafringe.org.
“Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA” — Melancholics Anonymous
Seven-time Fringers Melancholics Anonymous play with gender and dabble in blasphemy (as any good queer creative should) by transporting Joan of Arc, 14th century martyr and patron saint of France, to rural South Dakota with a new mission from God: win Miss Teen Queen USA.
Inspired by movies like “Miss Congeniality,” co-writers Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly say “Joan of Arc” asks what it means to be an outsider in rural America.
“We really wanted to make a piece that centers those who maybe feel like they’re about to be set on fire, but can find community through unlikely ways,” Ropella says.
And if that synopsis doesn’t pique your interest, there will be plate spinning and a showstopping holy goose puppet, too.
Melancholics made a splash at last year’s Fringe with “Beanie Baby Divorce Play,” in which Kelly performed in drag as the Princess Diana bear.
“Fringe feels like home,” he says. “It’s a great community of grassroots artists.”
Overall, Kelly and Ropella say they hope “Joan of Arc” audiences feel joy, even just for the hour the show lasts.
“Joan of Arc” will be performed at the Rarig Center Stoll Thrust Theatre.
“Cabin Fever” — Small Waves
In another reinterpretation of pop culture, partnered playwrights Naomi Brecht and Mikela Anderson have teamed up with Minneapolisbased company Small Waves to put on “Cabin Fever,” a sapphic reality game show set in the Minnesota Northwoods akin to “The Ultimatum: Queer Love.”
Hosted by drag queen Buttercream, the performance is of the show’s season finale, with contestants vying for the bachelorette’s hand and the “key to the U-Haul.”
Melancholics Anonymous managing director and "Joan of Arc" co-writer Timothy Kelly performs as the Princess Diana Beanie Baby bear in "Beanie Baby Divorce Play" for MN Fringe Fest 2024. Photo by Brent Knutson.
Dr. Madeline Stead Dr. Megan Mulligan
Besides scripted beats, the show will be completely improvised and even influenced by the audience, so no two performances will be alike.
“We’re putting a bunch of our gay friends on stage and seeing what happens,” says Small Waves co-owner Della Christ.
Christ’s wife and Small Waves co-owner Katie Christ explains the connections between theatre, reality TV and sapphic culture as key to their inspiration.
“Confessionals in reality TV shows are like the modern soliloquy,” she says. “Also, in both reality TV and sapphic culture, you have these archetypes of character: the U-Haul lesbian, the lipstick lesbian, the Hey Mama’s. I’ve been telling people this show is kind of secret nerdy.”
The four say the show will exemplify queer joy as resistance and poke fun at the messy lesbians they all know and love.
“Death! A Musical” — Twin Cities Youth Theatre
Perhaps ironically, “Death! A Musical,” a high-energy exploration of the end of life, was co-written and directed by a 13-year-old and will be played entirely by kids.
Gabriel Shen, a seventh grader at The Blake School in Minneapolis and artistic director of Twin Cities Youth Theatre, says their desire to write a musical came first, but then they couldn’t stop thinking about death.
Continued on page 22
The cast of "Cabin Fever," including Della (bottom left) and Katie Christ (bottom middle), Naomi Brecht (top row third from left), and Mikela Anderson (top row third from right), pose for a picture after their first rehearsal. Photo by Della Christ.
“People don’t really talk or think about death, especially kids, which makes it interesting that kids are doing everything,” Shen says. “I think a musical is a good way to show that death isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
The story follows Alana Hemming, who dies and journeys through the afterlife to complete tasks in order to come back to life.
Shen describes MN Fringe, and theatre in general, as a welcoming community for queer youth, including the more than onethird of the “Death!” cast they say identifies as LGBTQ+.
“It shows that youth, especially queer youth, are capable. They have opinions, they want to help the world. Hopefully, it’s an empowering musical for youth,” they say.
“Journey to Joy, Again” — Marie Cooney Stories
After recovering from two traumatic brain injuries, storyteller Marie Cooney says she proclaimed at a family reunion, “Coming out as a lesbian was easier than coming out with having a disability!”
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Her family laughed, but as Cooney’s one-woman Fringe show “Journey to Joy, Again,” will show, it’s a true statement for her.
“The show will explore what it meant for me to be a very outgoing, capable person who suddenly wasn’t anymore,” she says.
Cooney says that despite appearing ablebodied, she is very sensitive to bright lights and always wears a visor or dark glasses. She says she also struggles with losing her words, forgetting names and finding her way home.
“People didn’t understand what had changed,” an experience she says is similar to passing as straight as a queer person.
After years of recovery, Cooney says she finally feels capable of doing a full-hour performance relying on an outline of her story that she can adapt to with each in-depth, highly personal performance.
“I feel like I’ve arrived. I am whole again,” she says.
Cooney also used her experiences with her injuries to push for accommodations at Fringe for other people with invisible disabilities, such as providing a warning before each show that contains “strobe-like lights,” not just strobes.
While “Journey to Joy” will be emotional and vulnerable, Cooney says humor is still instrumental in conveying the story’s key theme of hope.
“We don’t survive unless we have a sense of humor,” she says.
‘Cabaret’ as Resistance: Jason Forbach’s Most Personal Role Yet
“I don’t think I had a lot of examples growing up of being an artist as a viable career,” Jason Forbach says. “It took me a while to be brave enough to be an artist, because I think it does require an immense amount of bravery.”
Continued on page 26
The now multi-hyphenate actor, singer, playwright and filmmaker took a winding path to figure out that Broadway was a calling. Having grown up in Kansas City, he went to college for journalism, dabbled in some photography and even put in some time working for an opera company, but nothing felt quite right.
“It was a search for identity. I feel like each [career path] has informed the next. It wasn’t like, oh, that was a mistake,” he says. “But it took me a while to get to New York and to be brave enough because it is the ultimate vulnerability. And being closeted for as long as I had been, it’s hard to make yourself feel seen. But the masks we all kind of wear — everyone, not just the queer community — are for protection.”
Now, having packed up his life in New York to spend the next few months in Minnesota, Forbach is peeling back the mask and bringing vulnerability to his role as Cliff Bradshaw in the Guthrie Theater’s current rendition of “Cabaret.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever played a role that I’ve felt so aligned with,” Forbach says, calling Cliff a conduit. The audience enters the Kit Kat Klub and Berlin during the Weimar Republic era through his eyes as an American reporter in search of inspiration and a new perspective on his life.
“It makes me think of moving to New York. It makes me afraid to be gay. It reminds me of the wild personalities I wanted to be around because it brought out more of my truth coming from a very repressed, conservative hometown,” he continues. “And it felt scary and it felt dangerous, and it felt hot. And that is how he is entering into this world. Cliff is the most interesting role to have at this point in my career because it just feels the most intrinsic to me.”
Forbach describes the world of “Cabaret” and the Kit Kat Klub as inherently queer, reaching for visibility and freedom against social constraints.
“I think it’s a powerful metaphor: when voices of conservatism or restraint enter into a dialogue, they want to silence the artists, and they want to silence the queer community first, because we are the truth tellers,” he says. “When this show was created, it was unlike anything else. And with each revival, we keep digging deeper. We keep mining deeper ideas of identity and sexual frankness and moral ambiguity and what all those things really mean.”
The cast and crew spent the first few days at the Guthrie working on music, costumes and piecing the show together. But Forbach says they were also intentional about reading through the show and discussing the issues that arise from the material. Audiences get to be the beneficiaries of that approach. Listed on the Guthrie’s website are sensory-friendly performances, post-show discussions and more resources to get a better understanding of what’s being shown on stage.
“I think the comparisons to what is happening globally and here in our country are impossible to ignore,” Forbach says. “And it is shocking, or maybe not so shocking, but it’s still under attack, and we still have to fight for these things. We can’t become complacent, you know.”
He shares that, for his character, the show concludes with a sentiment of asking what is worth fighting for.
“I hope it activates people,” he says. “I hope it’s thrilling. I hope it turns everyone on. I hope it feels wild and subversive, and then I also hope it feels like there’s a gut punch, and it’s like, okay, it’s time to do something. It’s time to act.”
“Cabaret” plays at the Guthrie Theater from June 21 to August 24. Visit guthrietheater.org for tickets.
Photos by Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter
‘A Pink Triangle’ Tells the Story of Gay Men in the Holocaust
She pushed through, believing in the years’ worth of work it took her to get to where she is today. Taylor says it came back to remembering the friends and family who gave feedback on the script and those who shared their passion with her on the topic, helping spread the news of the play.
“I believe in the show,” Taylor says. “I believe that this is history people need to know, and that has been such a clear driving force for me that it’s made it a little easier to push down my insecurities of, ‘Will people like it?’”
Each audience member will receive a booklet during the show telling a story of those marked by pink triangles during the Holocaust and their experience in concentration camps; some of the booklets have more information on these individuals than others, Taylor says.
“These are real people,” Taylor says. “These are real victims that have stories, faces and lives that have not been told.”
“A Pink Triangle” came from a place of wanting to shed light on this part of history, Taylor says. Through conversations with experts and theater lovers around the Twin Cities, Taylor says she is excited to show people what she created.
“It’s amazing how people show up when you’re willing to expose your insecurities about chasing a dream,” Taylor says.
Playwright Kirby Taylor dives into a father-son relationship during a time when homosexuality was illegal.
Kirby Taylor has always been fascinated by World War II history. Specifically, she’s always been interested in the Holocaust and the stories that have come out of one of the world’s greatest tragedies.
But she wasn’t aware of those who were marked with a pink triangle. Pink triangles were used to identify and mark gay men in concentration camps during the Holocaust. After picking up a book on the topic and learning more about it, Taylor was upset that the topic of men marked with pink triangles wasn’t well known and hadn’t been talked about much.
“The thing that made me the maddest, which, it’s a scale, was the idea that some of the survivors in the camps who wore the pink triangle were liberated only to be put back in jail by the Allied government because it was still illegal to be a gay man,” Taylor says.
She wanted to spark a conversation, and what better way to do that than taking the topic and crafting it into something she loves: playwriting.
And so, “A Pink Triangle” was born.
Written and produced by Taylor, the play tells the story of an estranged father and gay son navigating their relationship during a time when homosexuality was illegal. Taylor wanted the play to explore what has never been unpacked and speak what hasn’t been spoken about in the father-son relationship.
The show will take place at the Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis and is directed by Kjer Whiting, who has worked on other projects that took place during the World War II era. David Michaeli has been cast as Lars, the son, with Robb Krueger taking on the role of Hans, the father.
“Working with the cast and crew is about understanding the vision and how we work as a team to get what everyone wants to do, which is to be successful,” Taylor says.
There were days, though, when Taylor felt like this project was too big for her to tackle. She says she felt vulnerable having people pick up her script, taking what is hers and adapting it to what they envision.
“How do you create something that, in an hour and a half, describes what you want to describe?” Taylor says. “This history is something that you can’t experience in an hour and a half, so I didn’t even try. It’s about making it more personable.”
Taylor started this project because she was angry to learn about what gay men had gone through during and after World War II. She says she hopes those in attendance at the play will take away something similar.
“I can only hope that it starts conversations,” Taylor says. “If I overhear someone say they knew nothing about this before going in and now they know, that is enough for me to say this whole process was worth it.”
“A Pink Triangle” will run from June 20-28 at the Phoenix Theater. For more information on the show, please visit Taylor’s website at kirbytaylor.com.
David and Robb embracing onstage during A Pink Triangle rehearsals. Kirby Taylor watching rehearsals. Photos courtesy of Kirby Taylor
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ in Concert with the Minnesota Orchestra
THU JUL 17 7PM | FRI JUL 18 7PM
SAT JUL 19 7PM | SUN JUL 20 2PM
Norman Huynh, conductor
The Orchestra starts the saga all over again, performing John Williams’ Academy Award-nominated score to the first Harry Potter™ film live-to-picture.
Parker, Schumann and Tchaikovsky*
FRI JUL 25 8PM
Samuel Lee, conductor
Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Featuring Tchaikovsky’s Suite from Swan Lake, Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture and Schumann’s Piano Concerto.
Family Concert: Rhythm in Motion*
SAT JUL 26 2PM All kids under 18 free!
Samuel Lee, conductor
Pirouette into summer with this program featuring music inspired by dance, including pieces by Dvořák, Ginastera and more.
Chamber Music in the
Hall*
SAT JUL 26 7PM
Featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker and members of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Grand Piano Spectacular*
THU JUL 31 7PM
Jon Kimura Parker, piano | Chelsea de Souza, piano Artem Kuznetsov, piano | Ayane Nakajima, piano
4 pianists. 352 keys. A thrill to see and hear!
The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.
Parker, Grieg and Dvořák*
FRI AUG 1 8PM
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Hear Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony.
BY SHANE LUECK
No Labels, No Limits: Noah Lamanna's Rising Star Power
Tune into some of the most talked-about shows in recent memory, and you’re likely to see Noah Lamanna on the screen.
“It’s very cool to be invited into franchises that have so much cultural currency,” Lamanna says about HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Netflix’s “Ginny & Georgia.”
“I’m forever grateful to [‘The Last of Us’ creator and executive producer] Craig Mazin for casting me in a role that involved riding horses in the beautiful Rocky Mountains,” Lamanna continues. “‘Ginny & Georgia’ welcomed me into season three with open arms and offered me a really fun arc that I’m excited for fans to finally get to see. It’s been fun to have these two projects coming out around the same time and to feel the excitement and anticipation from the audiences.”
The nonbinary actor has previously described themself as being “ethnically ambiguous, age-ambiguous and also gender-ambiguous.” This gives them the fluidity and space to explore a variety of characters and worlds without being typecast.
For these most recent projects, Lamanna considers their characters to be “young queer people doing their best to honor themselves in difficult situations.”
Kat is trying to build a life in a small town where everyone knows each other’s business, and where insidious homophobia has managed to survive the apocalypse in “The Last of Us.” And Tris is navigating the less extreme, but still fraught reality of American high school in “Ginny & Georgia.”
“Both of these characters are really strong in their own ways,” Lamanna says, “and play-
ing them gave me access to aspects of my own strength that I’m not always necessarily tapped into. I hope that comes through for audiences.”
“The Last of Us” has a swath of queer fans. Aside from the eye candy of Pedro Pascal, often dubbed “the internet’s daddy,” Lamanna thinks a lot of it has to do with the fact that post-apocalyptic shows can be cathartic in a way.
“There is so much going on right now that feels out of our control — the climate crisis and international issues come top of mind,” they say. “We can protest and boycott and organize (and we should), but fighting for each other’s futures is an uphill battle that is often very disheartening and can leave us feeling overwhelmed and afraid. This is why humans fundamentally need to tell stories to survive.”
Lamanna says “The Last of Us” allows people to work through a version of the apocalypse in which people continue to be deeply flawed in their pursuit of survival.
“I think that allows us to have grace with ourselves,” they continue. “We’re not always going to get it right, and people will get hurt in the process of figuring out a way forward. But if we’re not willing to fight for each other, we’re doomed. I also think it’s really important to see queer and trans people thriving in narratives about the future. Survival, resistance and community are all core to queer identity. Not only are we not going away, but the world is going to need us.”
That theme continues into Lamanna’s upcoming short film, which they describe as “a dark comedy about the absurdity of being a working artist under late-stage capitalism, and how we perpetually find ourselves complicit in the same systems that we use our art to condemn.”
“It’s very silly and colorful and outrageous, and I’m excited to bring it to life,” Lamanna says. “It’s still in the early stages of pre-production, and I’m learning how much work goes on behind the scenes to actually get a film off the ground.”
After that, the future is wide open. Lamanna just wants to enjoy the ride for a while, but hopes to continue joining projects with themes they connect to.
“I hope that with a growing platform I can have a hand in uplifting artists whose work I believe in and who I think have important things to say,” Lamanna shares. “I want to work in cool places with cool people and continue to learn and hone my skills as an artist. And I want to use my own creative voice to tell stories that matter to me.”
Photo courtesy of BigStock/Designwest
BY EMMA WALYTKA
Stronger Together:
TC Pride’s New Parade Unit Screams, ‘You Can’t Erase Us’
Envision this: thousands of community members, allies and attendees all marching down Hennepin Avenue. No barriers to entry, signups or registration — just a unit comprised of community and togetherness.
Though the final unit this year will still feature the Minneapolis fire trucks, a new addition will be in front to start and end the parade. There will be the people: allies, supporters, friends, advocates — what makes Pride prideful.
Twin Cities Pride has announced a new unit, one that is open to all and a way to make a symbolic stance without losing joy in the day, says Twin Cities Pride Executive Director Andi Otto.
“It’s very personal,” Otto says. “As a trans man who is living in this current climate, it’s about being visible for those who can’t be. It’s about using the platform that Twin Cities Pride has to make a difference and bring awareness.”
Otto says the unit will be starting at the beginning of the parade, with the hope of marching down Hennepin Avenue. He adds that spectators will join as they voyage through the city, making a symbolic stance and a cap off to the parade.
“When you’re all walking together, saying, ‘We are not going anywhere. We’re not backing down,” Otto says. “You can come at us repeatedly, but this isn’t our first rodeo.”
The unit is not centered around a grandiose float or signage, but rather around people. Otto says it is open to anyone, designed to be a coming together of attendees, community and allies.
“It’s about making a better world for my kids, right?” Otto says. “I have two little kids, they’re two little girls, and it worries me to watch them grow up in a community where we’re literally taking away rights from them, and that’s personal.”
While attendance at other prides across the country is going down, Otto says that is not the case in Minnesota, in part because of the safe environment that the state fosters.
Though Twin Cities Pride had 85 artists in 2024, according to the TC Pride 2024 Impact Report, keeping it local is still at the heart of the festival, regardless of how much it grows over the years.
“Why would I have a large headliner when I can pay local artists that can pay their rent and pay their phone bills and all that stuff? Otto questions. “We have to take care of each other, or this will never work.”
Even at Fall Fest, where 25 drag performers compete to take first place, the value of giving and community rang clear as Otto says the winner looked at him and said, “Now I get to have dental surgery.”
This year, another new addition will come in the form of various buckets at every entrance, called “worry buckets,” where attendees can write down their worries on a piece of paper and put it in the bucket, allowing the bucket to hold their worries instead of themselves.
And the finish line doesn’t end there, as on June 1, Twin Cities in Motion Ambassadors will be hosting a casual 5K run/walk on the trails along the Mississippi River, with participating locations across the cities donating a portion of their proceeds to support TC Pride.
“And at the end of the day, if I can just take what the world is throwing at us right now and make it go away for even a minute, that was worth it to me,” Otto says. “And my hope is that there’s that adult or that kid that feels so alone and walks together with us in the parade and doesn’t feel so alone anymore. And sees that there is community everywhere, and they feel safe again.”
Photo courtesy of Twin Cities Pride
LEGEND PRIDE BOOTH VENDORS
672 Art By Emma Violet
276 Asmodee North America
496 Table 7 Author Emily Shore
496 Table 4 Author J.E. Joyce
235 Autism Society of Minnesota
367 Aveda Arts and Sciences Institute Minneapolis 327 Avenues for Youth
590 Avery Danger Artwork
269 Awesome Industries
609 Baby Kat Aesthetic
616 Ballet Co.Laboratory
654, 655 Baraka
471 Be Love Navigation 663 Beauty Through Chaos
282, 283 Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness
668B Better Event Co
497 Bifrost Tales
333 Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
100, 99 Bisexual Organizing Project 524 Black Visions
388, 389 2D Con
652, 653 2Dudes1Dream / PrideMajic
193, 193B 3M
592 5th Congressional District Green Party
646 A Fink & Ink 495D AAA
521 AARP
626 ABCbyKarla
403 Acts of Kare
95 Agate Housing and Services
165 Ain Dah Yung Center
588 AiriAviAnna
662 Aj's Creative Space
357 Alcoholics Anonymous 460 Aliveness Project
595 All Energy Solar
478 All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church 107 Allianz Life
519, 520 Allina Health 407, 408 AM950
496 Table 11 Amanda Meuwissen Books 91 AmazeWorks 363 American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota 472 American Red Cross 261 Ami Michael
615 Amy's Heartfelt Art
425 Animal Humane Society 349 Animal Rights Coalition Ethique Nouveau
523 Anime Detour
319 Annex Teen Clinic
401 Another Chance 4 Hope
496 Table 2 Anthony Scott Author 73 Anti-War Committee
649 Blackbird Revolt 45 blacksheepmosaics
7B BLNCD Naturals
495, 495B Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN
412 BluePearl Pet Hospital
347 Bolder Options
582 Bondesque
196 Boop the Void
509, 509B, 509C Boston Scientific
607 Bottle Cap Retro
583 Boudoir Belle Reproductions 17, 18 Brenna M & Co
79 Bridging
468 Brighter Days Family Grief Center
160, 160B Bull Ride
605 Burton Art Studios
496 Table 9 Button Poetry
608 Candy Claws Minneapolis
528 Table 7 Canine Inspired Change
352 Canopy Mental Health & Consulting
351 Canopy Roots
464 Canvas Health
528 Table 4 Capricorn Dice
P-R Caribou Coffee
489 CCRM Minneapolis
350 Cedar Hill Therapy
348 CenterPoint Energy
675 Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
528 Table 12 Cherished Vows Weddings
255, 256 CherriTree Designs
606 Cheryses
324, 323 Children's Minnesota
440 Chiropractic for EveryBody: Your Pet Care Partners
60, 61 Christopher Straub
399, 400 Chromatic
175, 176 CHS
429 Chuck and Don's
69 Churches of the Downtown Area
325 Circus Juventas
157 Citizens For A Loring Park Community
402 City of Minneapolis Human Resources
665 Claire Doolittle Illustration
535 Colibri Guatemalan Jewelry
475 Colon Cancer Coalition 104, 105 Colorebel 16 Community of Christ 492 Compassion & Choices
410 Compassionate Action for Animals
208 Cornerstone Day One 496 Table 3 Cozy DuBois
Derek and Romaine
Designs by Dorrie
DeWayne Davis for Mayor
Table 2 Diecaster Games
Dignity Twin Cities
Distal Drip LLC
Dr. Max - Bisexual Therapist 553, 554 Dragons, Dungeons, & Drinks
*Twin Cities Pride sponsors listed in bold
234 Family Services
214 Family Tree Clinic
90 FastTrackerMN
411 Feline Rescue, Inc
30 First Christian Church Minneapolis
539 Flip the Script
470 Flourish Wellness Collaborative
571 Focused Clothing
528 Table 8 Folly Lolly
534 For Goodness Socks
528 Table 3 Foragers Grim
496 Table 13 FortuneArt
515, 516 Fragmented Nostalgia
239 Fraser
453 Free Hugs!
384 Free Spirit NY
76, 77 FreeMomHugs Minnesota
528 Table 1 FunzieCo
414, 415 Fuzzbutt Boutique
297 GALB
529 Gamer's Rhapsody
164 Gay & Bi Dads Support Group
525, 526 Geek Partnership Society
313 Gender Inclusive Schools LLC
315 Gender Justice
659 Ghost Tabby Creations
5B, 5 Gigli
533 Glitter Division
88 Global LGBTIQ+ Services
133 Grace Lutheran Church of Northeast Minneapolis
48 Grainy Brain Wood Creations
502 Gray Duck Plumbing
258 Great Northern Union
195 Greater Twin Cities United Way
106 GreenLight Fund Twin Cities
439 Greyhound Pets of America, MN
496 Table 8 grrit.y kids
373 Guthrie Theater
565 Guys&Ties
603 Hail Mary Piercing and Tattoo
215 Hamline University
244, 245 Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
311 Heading Home Ramsey Youth Advisory Board
80 Health Care for All Minnesota
365 HealthPartners
488 Hennepin County
71 Hennepin County Attorney's Office
131 Hennepin County Child Foster Care Licensing
213 Hennepin County Library
504 Hennepin Healthcare 404 Hired
266 Hobby Hoss Goods
648 Homebody MN
434, 435 HORSES FOR HUMANS INC
341 House-Raising
111 Human Rights Campaign
81 HumanistsMN
209 Hunt for Variety
512, 513 Huntington Bank
392, 390, 391 Ikea
601, 602 Ilhan For Congress
639, 640 Indigo Sun Jewelry LLC
514 Interna Mental Health and Wellness
10D Island Pezi Dispensary
63 J-Pride (JFCS)
466 James Ballentine Uptown VFW #246
656 Jandjresincreations
406 JBloom with Rachel
201 Jessimports
623, 624 Jewelry by Samy
230 JP Morgan Chase
222, 223 Junque In thy Trunk 643 JustADink
593 Kabouter Creative 644 Katie White Designs
159 KDWB 101.3
49 Keener Creations
200 Kelly Nicole Foundation 393 Kim's Kaleidescope
585 Kink on the Scene
381 Kitchen Club LLC
546B Kobi Co. 5C, 5D Kooka Beezwax
610 Ladies of the Lakes
680 Lake Superior Drift Co
51 Lavendart Design
566 LeafFilter Gutter Protection 558, 559 Legacy Glassworks
231 LET THEM STIM 678, 679 LETTERING UNLIMITED
560, 561 LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance MN Chapter
59 Libertarian Party of Minnesota 289, 290, 294 LifeTime Fitness
Lily Wenndt Illustration
LINC Permanent Jewelry 673 LINH T VO
421 Long Dog Apparel
Looking Forward Life Coaching
Looner Cannabis Co.
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
LynLake Centers for WellBeing 461, 461B, 462 M Health Fairview
Mada Mehndi Natural Henna Art
Maddie Stumbaugh Art
Designs Jewelry
Mandy by Mandy
Hickory Woodworking, LLC
Public SchoolOut4Good - Equity and School Climate
Assistance Council for Veterans
Atheists
Minnesota Attorney General's Office
173 MINNESOTA AWESOME
506
Deaf Queers
221 Minnesota Department of Health
Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
180 Minnesota Dodgeball
573 Minnesota Leather Pride
Legit
Minnesota Minx Football
Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance
Of Color LGBT
PRIDE BOOTH VENDORS
418 Mixly Cocktail Co.
242, 243 MN Council on Disability
328 MN Dpt. of Human Services / Dpt. of Children, Youth, and Families
465 MN LGBTQ+ Therapists Network
192 MN Lynx
454 MN Pocket Pet Rescue
217 MN T-Girls
202, 203 MNclusive Employee Resources Group
240 MNeurodivergent
97 MNPoly
374 Modern Vixen Vintage
358 Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
36 Morgue Design
422, 423 Morries Subaru
275 Morris Park Singers
456 Mortgages With Tina
200B Mosaic Venue
342 Mounds Park Academy
206 Move Minnesota
265 Muddy Mouth Cards
267 Munay Creations
436 Must be Ruff
487 MUUSJA
427, 428 My Pit Bull is Family
664 Mystic Healing Stones
263, 264 Mystic Sales
574, 575 NAKED MINNESOTA
85 NAMI Minnesota
285 Narcotics Anonymous
629 Nashipai
130 NATURAL ROOTS T-SHIRTS & ACCESSORIES
622 Nature's Syrup Beauty
569 Nauti Daddy Sailing Company
199 Nerd Street Events
211 Next Adventure Counseling and Consulting
589 Nicholas Holman Art 634, 633 Nikkolette's Macarons
47 No Moon Art + Stickers
383 Noodle and Bean
356 Normandale Community College
29 North Central Conference Reconciling in Christ Churches
447B, 447 North Memorial Health
166 North Star Roller Derby
359 Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District 338 Northwest Passage High School Charter 596 Northwestern Mutual
NSGRA
NUWAY Alliance
503 Nystrom & Associates
137 O'Boys Plumbing, Heating & Air
528 Table 5 Oh, Beehave! Goods
134 ollie mae enchanted crafts
252 One Voice Mixed Chorus
245C, 245D One World Boutique
89 Open Arms of Minnesota
677 Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
360 oSTEM @ Minnesota
204 Ostri(chi)zed Brewing Company
344, 345 OutFront Minnesota
530 Outlet Shop LLC
251 Oya Arts
657 Paulie's Glass Studio
437 Paw & Order - Twin Cities
253, 254 Pawstar
527 People Incorporated
426 Petsuites Woodbury
499 Pillars of Prospect Park Child Care
385, 386, 477 Pin Daddies
299 Planned Parenthood North Central States
641, 642 Pluto's Authentic Witching Service
194 Plymouth Congregational Church
364 Prairie Care
667, 668 Prettys N Prettys
555 Prime Therapeutics
273 Prime Timers - Minneapolis/St. Paul
298 Pro-Choice Minnesota
613, 614 PT Rocks and Gems
207, 207B Quatrefoil Library
496 Table 6 Queen of Swords Press
15 Queen On The SceneInappropriately Awesome Pins
174 Queen On The SceneInappropriately Awesome Pins
496 Table 15 Queer Games
496 Queer Writers Zone
310 QUEERSPACE collective
237, 322 Rainbow Wardrobe
210 Ramsey County
224 Re-Bath Minneapolis
314 RECLAIM
219, 218 Red Door Clinic
528 Table 10 Red Light Games
240B Remembrance Garden
638 Renee Boynton Art
469B Renew MedSpa
277, 278 Renewal by Andersen
262 ReSound
394, 395 Resurrected Journals
658 Revival Candle Studio
340 Richfield Public Schools
419 Riverrun Acreage LLC
498 RMIA
505 Roots Community Birth Center
671 Saintly Sisters
650, 651 Sand - Rose Crystal Co
556, 557 Sarah Jane's Makery
457, 458 SaveTheBottoms!!! Foundation
528 Table 6 SAYURI Perfume
366 Schaefer Halleen, LLC
647 Scribble Lady
232 Seal Dwyer Counseling 628 see carrie color
225 Selcouth Artistry
274 Set Adrift Art
496 Table 1 Sewn Together Reflections
494 Sexual Violence Center
135 Shadow Works Art Collective
455 Shanai Henna 22 Shangri-La Crafts and Gifts 522 Shangri-La Crafts and Gifts 397, 398 Shannon's Shop
Shawn Lohse Art 581 Shellucinations Art 579, 580 Shibe Ink 93 Shiro's African Boutique, LLC 70 Shout Out Loud - Suicide Prevention
Sincerely Fearless
Small Batch Henna & Craft
spacecase.cafe
Table 10 Spencer Spears
Spoon and Theory Handmade
St. Cloud State University
St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church
stace of spades
Stassi Dates
Steve Rummler HOPE Network
Stonewall Sports Twin Cities
Stronger Together
StuckOnU Art
Students for Socialist Revolution
Sun-Glowz
Super Fluity
Surreal Makeup LLC
Sweetie-Pie Collars LLC
Table 12 Swoonworthy Booksellers
SWOP Minneapolis 162, 163 TABLETOP SHOP
Tangerine House of Design
The Art Dungeon 666 The Big Gay Collective
227 The BirdHive
330, 331, 332 The Bridge for Youth
The Link
541 The Maker Den 248 The Minnesota Freedom Band
The Oak and The Acorn 500 The Pillars of Prospect Park
The Pride Institute 476 The Salvation Army
62 The Table MPLS
496 Table 14 The Vintage Storyteller
34 The Workshop Mpls
577 The Yogurt Kingdom
75 ThinkCutie
604 Thread Joy
31, 32 Thrivent Financial
317, 318 TIGERRS
438 Timber & Co
7 Trail Magic
312 Transforming Families
482 Trellis Management
637 Trixi's Twisted Wonders
449, 450 Tru180°
46 Tryst Trigger Artworks
362 Tunita James Children's Book Author
57 Twin Cities CPUSA
184 Twin Cities DSA
676 Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus
600 Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
182 Twin Cities In Motion
567 Twin Cities Pagan Pride
188 Twin Cities Queer Hockey Association
510, 511 Twin Cities Reiki Master
548 Twin Rituals Crystals and Carvings
486 UCare
197 United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
354, 355 University of Minnesota
441 Upper Midwest Great Dane Rescue
536, 537 US Bank
181 USTA Northern 54 VajLoog Collective LLC
138 Veteran Resilience Project
491 ViiV Healthcare
576, 576B Villainy Alternative Dance Studio
480 Virta Therapy Collective
43 Walker Art Center
228 Walser Automotive Group 343 Watershed High School 481 Wayside Recovery Center
132 We Rock the Spectrum Woodbury
617 Wenonah 618 Westfield Crochet
396 Wit & Wildflowers
74 Wright Foot
669, 670 WyntersEnd Workshop
635, 636 Xaviea's
301, 302, 303 Xcel Energy
245B Yarn Duo Studio
660, 661 Yarnival
587 Yinglong Kung Fu
177B YMCA of the North
6B You Betcha Cannabis Company
598 Your Home Improvement Company
320 Youth Zone
FOOD VENDORS
BLUE FOOD COURT
B-E Amish Annie Donuts & Lemonade
B-A Best Way
B-K Bubble Tea House
B-G, B-H Carnival Classics Concessions
B-F Cloud 9 Energy Bowls
B-J El Burrito Mercado
B-L Jerry's Cherry Lemonade and Shaved Ice
B-M Jupiter Moon Ice Cream
B-B Maggie's Food For The Soul
B-I Roon's Savories
B-C, B-D SCHRODER CONCESSIONS, Inc
HOT PINK FOOD COURT
H-E Baja Smoothies
H-I Blue Tin Cup Kafe
H-J Carnival Classics Concessions
H-C Chillwaukee
H-B Dippd By Riah
H-F El Burrito Mercado
H-D La La Homemade Ice Cream
H-A Pronto Pups
H-G Ting Tea & dessert
H-H Unbakeable
PURPLE FOOD COURT
P-G Ally Restaurants - Rock Elm Rig
P-D Best Way
P-P Boki Food Service
P-R Caribou Coffee
P-I Infuzn Foods LLC
P-A Jerry's Cherry Lemonade and Shaved Ice
P-O Just The Meats
P-M Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine
P-J Minnesnowii Shave Ice
P-L Paella Depot
P-B Pharaohs Gyros
P-H Philicious phillys
P-F Quality Food Internationalseafood market
P-Q Red's Savoy Pizza
P-N Richies Cheese Curd Tacos
P-K SCHRODER CONCESSIONS, Inc
P-C Taulelle Concessions
P-E Tom Thumb Donuts
YELLOW FOOD COURT
Y-A Agave Express
Y-F, Y-L Boki Food Service
Y-B Jerry's Cherry Lemonade and Shaved Ice
Y-E LaBorinqua
Y-J Made It Myself Shaved Ice
Y-K Mami Churros & Creamery
Y-C Quality Food Internationalseafood market
Y-D Richies Cheese Curd Tacos
Y-H, Y-I Taulelle Concessions
Y-G Tom Thumb Donuts
Twin Cities LGBTQ+ History Tours
The Twin Cities LGBTQ+ History Tours are an ongoing collaboration between Twin Cities Pride and the Minnesota Historical Society.
The tours comprise fifty-eight sites across the Twin Cities (thirty-eight in Minneapolis, including Loring Park, and twenty in St. Paul). The sites can be explored from anywhere, via tablet, desktop computer, or smartphone. Users can enable location services on their smart devices to understand their current location in proximity to any given site listed on the map. Users can explore beyond the maps by following the external links to MNopedia, online essays, and newspaper articles.
TC Pride and MNHS welcome suggestions for future sites and have included a suggestion form with the maps for community members to make their voices heard.
Twin Cities Leather: The Steve Lenius and Andrew Bertke History Collection
Longtime Lavender Magazine readers may recognize Steve Lenius for his outstanding contributions as a columnist, extensively covering the leather/BDSM community within LGBTQ+ media.
His “Leather Life” column appeared in Issue 1 of the magazine and continued for nearly 30 years until 2023, when unexpected health issues resulted in him having to step away from his decades-long column.
While his days as a Lavender columnist may have come to an end, his activism efforts for the leather/BDSM/fetish/kink and LGBTQ+ communities prevail.
Lenius has released a book inspired by the contents of his Lavender columns, with a second one on the way; covered local, national and international leather title contests; and donated local and national leather history to several museums and archival institutions.
Andrew Bertke is a well-known event photographer across the leather community, having contributed as a photographer to the International Mr. Leather competition.
He was also a past president of the Leather Club and has worked extensively on the history and visual documentation of the leather and LGBTQ+ community events.
Twin Cities Leather Founder and Lead Designer Karri Plowman was thrilled when he and his business partner, Kurt Patton, chose to recognize these two individuals by naming the history collection after them.
“They should be remembered,” Plowman says. “These are the two people that did the quiet work in the background that provides so much for our future generations to be able to see and learn and hear.”
Plowman and Patton partnered to bring Twin Cities Leather into a new future in late 2019, following the closure of their brick-and-mortar shop, café and community space.
While TCL has explored various avenues of art and business over the years, two things have remained constant: leather and community.
Known for its leather design and unique, fully customized leather pieces, TCL operates online, at several local pop-up shops and through personal vending as far as they can drive.
“We’re a leather store owned by leather people who are in the leather community,” Plowman says.
It’s important to TCL that customers know that they not only sell leather products, but are active members of the communities in which these products are intended to serve.
The Lenius and Bertke History Collection is an opportunity for community members of all ages, races and sexual orientations to come learn more about the history of leather in the Midwest and how it has influenced the LGBTQ+ and fetish/kink communities at large.
The first show included in the collection will be titled “Foundations”, which will include diagrams and timelines encapsulating the many clubs,
titles and various accomplishments that started or flourished through the efforts of Minnesota’s leather community.
It will cover history starting around the 1960s era and go through today’s activity in the leather and LGBTQ+ communities. Plowman described it as if each era of history represented a different tree branch, allowing viewers to have a better understanding of the different artistic avenues TCL and its community have ventured into over time.
Plowman and Patton intend on running this exhibit for six to nine months once it’s presentation-ready. They anticipate the official opening to take place during the Pride 2025 season, but have yet to set an official date.
The show that will eventually follow will be titled “Lost Voices,” which Plowman finds of particular importance due to their own identity as a twospirit indigenous person.
“I want to showcase stories of other people of color, of women, of people in the trans community that have been integral to the history of our Minnesota leather fetish community,” Plowman says.
They hope that this show will educate the community on the oftensilenced voices of those responsible for creating the foundation of the leather community in Minnesota and beyond.
Plowman acknowledged that none of the projects completed by TCL would have been made possible without the endless support from community members who volunteer their time and money to TCL’s mission.
Plowman and Patton want all viewers of the collection to remember the importance of community.
“You’re not alone,” Plowman says. “You can go on to do whatever it is that you want. You don’t have to fit a mold.”
To contribute to TCL’s mission and explore their work, please visit their Patreon, patreon.com/twincitiesleather.
Pride 2025 reading list: Spins, Screens and a Stage
Since 2003, the 33 1/3 book series has provided in-depth analyses of albums from as early as the late 1950s to as recent as the late 2010s. Not to be outdone, the “Singles” series, edited by Emily J. Lordi and Joshua Clover, narrows the focus to one song. The latest installment, “Under Pressure” (Duke University Press, 2025) by Max Brzezinski, puts the 1981 pop anthem by David Bowie and Queen in the spotlight, giving it the star treatment.
Even though Elton John may be in retirement mode, he’s never far from the public eye. His 2024 documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late” earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (“Never Too Late”). That tune also appeared on his 2025 Brandi Carlile collaboration album “Who Believes in Angels?” Matthew Restall’s “On Elton John: An Opinionated Guide” (Oxford University Press, 2025), described as “a lively and imaginative exploration” of the Rocket Man’s career, earns Captain Fantastic a place for himself on your bookshelf.
In “The Vinyl Diaries: Sex, Deep Cuts, and My Soundtrack to Queer Joy” (Random House Canada, 2025), Toronto-based gay writer Peter Crighton, tells his coming-of-age story in the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, with an emphasis on the influence of the music of the era. Crighton, who has fabulous taste in music, separates the book into two sides (like an LP), and uses song titles (Marianne Faithfull’s “Broken English,” the B-52s’ “Give Me Back My Man,” Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Radiohead’s “High and Dry,” among many others to separate sections.
It’s difficult to pinpoint why exactly, but queer British authors seem to have a knack for writing about the intersection of music and LGBTQ+ life. Martin Aston’s “Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache: How Music Came Out” and the late Darryl W. Bullock’s “David Bowie Made Me Gay” (both from 2017) are two prime examples. The latest British writer to enter that fray is Jon Savage with his book “The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture from the Margins to the Mainstream” (Liveright Publishing Corporation/W.W. Norton, 2025) in which he takes “fresh looks” at Janis Ian, Sylvester, New York Dolls, Bette Midler, Liberace, Grace Jones and Dusty Springfield, to name a few.
Speaking of the Brits, as part of the British Film Institute’s BFI Screen Guides series, we now have “100 Queer Films Since Stonewall” (BFI/Bloomsbury, 2025) by Chelsea McCracken & Matt Connolly. Beginning with Toshio Matsumoto’s “Funeral Parade of Roses” (1969) and concluding with Harshavardhan Kulkarni’s “Badhaai Do” (2022), the book also includes a selection of domestic (“The Birdcage,” “Parting Glances,” “But I’m A Cheerleader,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) and international (“La Cage Aux Folles,” “Taxi Zum Klo,” “Yossi & Jagger,” “BPM” and “Rafiki”) titles, as well as films with numerous accolades to their names (“Moonlight,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Flee”).
Michael Koresky, editorial director at New York’s Museum of the Movie Image, is the author of “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” (Bloomsbury, 2025). A sort of companion to Vito Russo’s highly regarded “The Celluloid Closet,” Koresky’s book spans more than 100 years, from 1922 (Alla Nazimova’s “Salome”) to 2024 (Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow”), from the days of the Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code) to the far more liberated and progressive present day.
“To Broadway” (Abrams Comic Arts, 2025), by Maurane Mazars, is a stunningly illustrated graphic novel that tells the story of Ulrich Rosenstiehl, better known as UIi, a freckled modern dance student in postwar (1957) Germany. Frus-
trated by the strict limitations of the Folkwang Institute, Uli’s dreams of dancing on Broadway (and perhaps alongside his idol Gene Kelly in films), he heads to New York in search of his great loves: dance and fellow dancer Anthony.
BY ELISE
Solidarity and Hospitality: Radical Acts in a Ruthless World
Katrina and James Baugh, co-founders of Radical Hospitality Ministries, met while working with the Justice Debate League, a nonprofit founded by Katrina Baugh that coaches debate teams in United States prisons. While COVID-19 rendered them unable to enter prisons to help people, they began to realize the enormous need to help people who are leaving prison.
“This is a population we know and love. If we cannot go in, we will help them get out,” Katrina Baugh says. “Housing is the biggest need. This need is not just to prevent homelessness; if you don’t have a release address to go to, they keep you in prison.”
Over 1000 people in Illinois alone are serving “dead time,” meaning time spent in prison that does not count as credit towards a sentence. For this reason, Katrina and James Baugh began their journey to fight housing discrimination for previously incarcerated individuals.
Along with other types of discrimination that our queer community unfortunately knows all too well, housing discrimination towards those impacted by the prison industrial complex is illegal, but there is no recourse when it occurs. Most people don’t know that it is illegal according to the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Despite the illegality of discrimination across the country, the following statistics were made available by the Prison Policy Initiative. LGBTQ+ people are more than twice as likely to be arrested as their straight counterparts, which is likely due to drug law enforcement, sex work and the criminalization of homelessness. Nearly half of trans people in prison have been denied access to requested hormones. Despite the clear and lasting damaging effects of the practice, 85% of LGBTQ+ people in prison have been put in solitary confinement, often in the name of “protecting” them. Last but not least, 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ+, which funnels many of them into the juvenile justice system, where they make up 20% of the population. For more information on queer people and the justice system, I would recommend “Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States”by Joey Mogul, Andrea Ritchie and Kay Whitlock.
Despite housing discrimination towards people who have been to prison being illegal, landlords refused to rent to the Baughs because they planned on sharing their home with formerly incarcerated people.
Through Lombard Mennonite Church, the Baughs met a couple who believed in their mission to house people and had an empty family home waiting to welcome the Baughs and their first clients in January 2023. Through Radical Hospitality Ministries, the Baughs connected their clients with other services in the area, such as counseling to help them get back on their feet after release.
When the Baughs applied for a license to operate a group care home in the city of Wheaton so that they could go beyond direct housing provision, they were met with opposition as some neighbors claimed that they were trying to sneak ex-convicts into the neighborhood.
The neighbors protested at city council meetings and lied about everything. They claimed murderers were coming to the neighborhood. One person claimed a client had an incident of indecent exposure. Many used racially charged language comparing their neighborhood to Chicago, saying they were afraid to let their kids outside out of fear of what could be lurking in their backyard. This NIMBY-ism resulted in a denied license, which was done through a denial of due process that violated city code and state law along the way.
In addition to denying the license, the city council is preventing them from receiving grants. The Baughs were approved for a grant from the Illinois State Department of Human Services that could have allowed them to buy a new house to legally house new clients without the license. The city of Wheaton is refusing to furnish the paperwork, which is ironic, as there is no reentry housing anywhere in DuPage County, and Wheaton is the seat of the county jail.
If you want to help the Baughs in their provision of reentry housing, please sign the Change. org petition called “Housing equity, reentry, and rehabilitation in Illinois.” For more information on their programming, please visit radicalhospitalityministries.com. To support those doing similar good work with this population in Minnesota, please support All Square, which I also wrote an article about that can be read on lavendermagazine.com.
If you want to help LGBTQ+ people impacted by the prison industrial complex, please check out Black and Pink Pen Pals to write to people who are incarcerated as a form of harm reduction.
individuals smiling with “I Voted” stickers. Photo courtesy of Katrina Baugh
Community Connection brings visibility to local LGBTQ-friendly non-profit organizations. To reserve your listing in Community Connection, email advertising@lavendermagazine. com.
ANIMAL RESCUE
Second Chance Animal Rescue
Dedicated to rescuing, fostering, caring for, and adopting out dogs and cats into forever homes.
P.O. Box 10533 White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 771-5662 www.secondchancerescue.org
BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS
Quorum
Minnesota's LGBTQ+ and Allied Chamber of Commerce working to build, connect, and strengthen for a diverse business community. 2446 University Ave. W., Ste 112 St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 460-8153 www.twincitiesquorum.com
ENVIRONMENT
The Nature Conservancy
TNC is an environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature thrive. 1101 W. River Pkwy., Ste. 200 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291 (612) 331-0700 minnesota@tnc.org www.nature.org/minnesota
EVENT VENUES
Landmark Center
A classic venue, with a grand cortile and beautiful courtrooms, accommodates celebrations of all sizes.
75 W. 5th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 292-3228 www.landmarkcenter.org
GRANTMAKERS/FUNDERS
PFund Foundation
PFund is the LGBTQ+ community foundation that provides grants to students and grants to non-profits. PO Box 3640 Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-1806 www.pfundfoundation.org
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Aliveness Project
Community Center for individuals living with HIV/AIDS – on-site meals, food shelf, and supportive service.
3808 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55102 (612) 824-LIFE (5433) www.aliveness.org
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
Radio K
Radio K is the award-winning studentrun radio station of the University of Minnesota.
330 21st. Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-3500 www.radiok.org
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
MEDICAL SERVICES
Red Door Clinic
HIV and STI screening, treatment, education, and referrals. Doxy PEP, nPEP, PrEP, and Reproductive Health. 525 Portland Ave., 4th Fl. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 543-5555 reddoor@hennepin.us www.reddoorclinic.org
MUSEUM
Bell Museum, University of Minnesota
Discover Minnesota’s rich natural history through engaging exhibits, wildlife dioramas, and an exciting planetarium experience!
2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55113 (612) 626-9660 bellinfo@umn.edu www.bellmuseum.umn.edu
Minnesota Historical Society
Create your own adventure at MNHS historic sites and museums around Minnesota. www.mnhs.org
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Enjoy masterpieces from all over the world & every period of human history. Free admission daily!
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 870-3000 www.artsmia.org
PERFORMING ARTS
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
The nation's largest professional dinner theater and Minnesota's own entertainment destination. 501 W. 78th St. Chanhassen, MN 55317 (952) 934-1525 www.chanhassendt.com
Children’s Theatre Company
Children’s Theatre Company excites the imagination with world-class family-friendly theatre for kids, teens, and adults.
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 874-0400 www.childrenstheatre.org
Guthrie Theater
Open to the public year-round, the Guthrie produces classic and contemporary plays on three stages. 818 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 377-2224 www.guthrietheater.org
Minnesota Opera
World-class opera draws you into a synthesis of beauty; breathtaking music, stunning costumes & extraordinary sets. Performances at the Ordway Music Theater - 345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (612) 333-6669 www.mnopera.org
Minnesota Orchestra
Led by Music Director Designate Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, one of America’s leading symphony orchestras.
1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 371-5656, (800) 292-4141 www.minnesotaorchestra.org
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Leading performing arts center with two stages presenting Broadway musicals, concerts & educational programs that enrich diverse audiences.
345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 224-4222 info@ordway.org www.ordway.org
Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
An award-winning chorus building community through music and offers entertainment worth coming out for! 1430 W. 28th St., Ste. B Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 339-SONG (7664) chorus@tcgmc.org www.tcgmc.org
RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL
All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church
A welcoming, inclusive, safe place to explore and discover God’s love for ALL God’s children.
3100 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 824-2673 www.agcmcc.org
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Everyone is welcome at Hennepin Church! Vibrant Worship. Authentic Community. Bold Outreach. 511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-5303 www.hennepinchurch.org
Plymouth Congregational Church
Many Hearts, One Song; Many Hands, One Church. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. 1900 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-7400 www.plymouth.org
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ
We are an Open & Affirming, Progressive Christian Community. Real Church. Real People. Real Life. 2129 Commonwealth Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 (651) 646-7173 www.sapucc.org
St. Philip's Lutheran Church
We invite and welcome those of every spiritual background, ethnicity, gender orientation, or economic situation. 6180 Hwy 65 Fridley, MN 55432 (763) 571-1500 www.splcmn.org
University Baptist Church
Creating safe and inclusive spaces for 175 years, UBC stands proudly with our LGBTQ+ family.
1219 University Ave. SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 331-1768 www.ubcmn.org
Westminster Presbyterian Church
An open and affirming congregation, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. 1200 Marquette Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421 www.westminstermpls.org
SENIOR LIVING
Lyngblomsten Community Services
Empowering older adults to live well at home through caregiver support, memory-loss enrichment, & wellness education.
1415 Almond Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 (651) 632-5330 www.Lyngblomsten.org/CServices
Senior Community Services
Providing non-medical services that meet the changing needs of older adults & support their caregivers.
10201 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 335 Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 541-1019 www.seniorcommunity.org/lav
SOCIAL SERVICES
Friends & Co
Fostering meaningful connections for older adults for 50+ years. Offering quick drop-in chat line, phone & visiting companionship services.
2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 260-S St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 721-1400 www.friendsco.org
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
Serving all Minnesotans with individualized services that promote full and abundant lives.
lssmn.org | (651) 642-5990 | (800) 582-5260 Foster Care and Adoption | chlss.org | (651) 646.7771
PICS (Partners in Community Supports) | (651) 967-5060
Pooled Trust | (888) 806-6844
Supported Decision-Making | (888) 806-6844
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Westopolis
Minnesota’s Sweet Spot! St. Louis Park & Golden Valley offer exceptional dining, attractions, shopping, hotels and event space.
1660 Hwy 100 S., Ste. 501 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 426-4047 www.westopolis.org
THE NETWORK
The reason they killed the wolves is more insidious than we were taught. The reason they killed the buffalo the reason they kill at all
In effort to eliminate us to claim for themselves that meant to be shared Wolf protected us as Earth Nurtured Bounty
Plenty For All
Wolf Brother Renaissance
Forgive my prescience
As I forgive your lack of vision
Living in the past
When we have moved on What happens now
But they are greedy and selfish and destructive as wolves fighting back to save us all. They kill Wolf and Buffalo they kill Eagle and Us and yet we strive we survive their scoured earth their poisoned rivers we survive and we thrive
Impacts what will happen then my friend
I wonder what life would have been
Had I known then
What I know now
Would it have been better?
Smoother?
More or less fun?
I shudder.
The one delights
The other horrifies (gossip and lies i despise)
Photo courtesy of BigStock/outsiderzone
Photo courtesy of BigStock/Prostock-studio
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