On Wednesday, the Minnesota House passed the omnibus early childhood, E-12 education package.
There was some nonsense:
Apparently some bozo in the Minnesota legislature is holding forth today on the nonexistent litter boxes that nonexistent teachers are offering their nonexistent students who cosplay as cats. Aren’t Minnesota Republicans embarrassed by their elected officials?! #mnleg
— Stacey Burns (@WentRogue) April 27, 2022
But a high point of the floor debate came with this message by suburban mom and Leech Lake Ojibwe Band descendent Jamie Becker-Finn, DFL-Roseville:
Today #mnleg Republicans mocked LGBTQ+ children, including saying that being two spirit is “junk”.
— Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) April 28, 2022
This is my message to our queer, trans and two spirit kids:
You are loved.
Unconditionally.
1/ pic.twitter.com/WicvtGbl1P
We've greatly admired Becker-Finn's defense of Minnesota's wild deer herd as a hunter and as a member of an indigenous community. Her defense of children is even more impressive.
Sadly, the rarified floor of the Minnesota House isn't the only place where folks have to rise to the defense of LGBTQIA and TwoSpirit youth. The Republican super-majority has passed anti-transgender bills, and when it fits her ambitions, Governor Noem's agenda has concurred.
But it's not all grim in this territory.
Just down the road from Summit, we read in the Public Opinion, Watertown transgender students feel love, encouragement from community:
In the wake of a Watertown High School teacher handing out a letter that refuted the gender identities of transgender students, some local organizations and businesses are working to provide a safe, supportive community for LGBTQ+ kids.
Watertown Love held an event Tuesday night during which students, friends and family could converse in a safe environment. The gathering also provided an opportunity for community members to show their support for those affected by Monday's incident at the school.
More:'We were all flabbergasted': Watertown students protest anti-transgender letter from teacher
That's when four Watertown High School students received a letter from German teacher Calvin Hillesland, an incident the school district is investigating.
The letter told the students that when they asked him to call their friends by masculine names, he felt it was "wrong" and "a lie."
Watertown Love is a group of LGBTQ+ youth, adults and allies that works to promote love, acceptance and education.
First Congregational United Church of Christ in Watertown was one of the community entities that offered support. Pastor Dustin Bartlett provided a letter of his own to the students and all LGBTQ+ individuals who might be struggling with their understanding of God and how religion fits with their sexuality and gender.
"I have read the Bible. I have read much of it, including the so-called 'clobber passages' that have been used to attack LGBTQ+ people, in the original Hebrew and Greek languages," he wrote. "I am something of an expert on this question, certainly more so than that of a high school German teacher. And I want to set the record straight ... You are loved and worthy of love, just as you are. God loves you, just as you are." . . .
. . . More: Protect Trans Kids Rally in Watertown pushes against South Dakota anti-transgender bills . . .
Wise Pizza delivered dinner to the Watertown Love event, showing support by writing heartfelt messages on a pizza box.
"You are loved. You matter. You can be anyone you want to be. We love you," wrote owner Josh Weyh.
Others who work at the business also wrote short, uplifting messages. And donations from the community paid for the meal.
HBO 'We're Here' queens call Watertown
Support also came from outside of the community as HBO's "We're Here" stars Shangela and Eureka O'Hara video called during the Watertown Love event to share encouragement and love from their tour bus. . . .
"Stand up with all your allies," said Shangela. "We all love you, and you're not alone."
The cast of "We're Here" visited Watertown last year, filming an episode and putting on a drag show.
Will love win? When he was a small child, our beau, a Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate elder, was told by his father--in the Dakota language--that LGBTQ+ people were "wakan," and he was to stand up to those who bullied them. We can't argue with that, though some might try.
Screengrab: Minnesota State Representative Jamie-Becker Finn.
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