Are you thinking about moving to Minnesota? As any gay or lesbian realtor will tell you, the state is a nice, if somewhat chilly, place to live. The winters can get very harsh, especially in the northern part of the state up by the Canadian border. However, Minnesota has a lot going for it, and it has been a fairly welcoming place for members of the LGBT community.
Same-Sex Activity
Minnesota was originally formed under Wisconsin law, which included that state’s ban on sodomy, although it did not just apply to same-sex couples. In 1921, that definition was expanded, but it still didn’t specify same-sex couples only. In 1939, the state passed a psychopathic offender law that lumped LGBT people in with child molesters and rapists; in fact, most people put in prison under this law were LGBT people who had done nothing wrong.
This law and the same-sex activity ban was challenged and defeated in 2001, and same-sex activity between consenting adults in private was no longer considered a crime.
Same-Sex Marriage
Minnesota was actually the stage for the very first case about same-sex marriage, and it happened in 1971. When Baker v. Nelson was brought before the Minnesota Supreme Court, they declared that the laws did not allow for it, and the U.S. Supreme Court later declined to hear the appeal. The state passed a Defense of Marriage Act in 1997, an act that was challenged in court in 2010. In 2011, the case was dismissed as Baker v. Nelson was considered precedent.
A number of amendments were proposed that would ban marriages and comparable civil unions, but they constantly failed. In 2011, an amendment did pass the legislature banning same-sex marriage, but the voters did not approve it. In 2013, a bill legalizing same-sex marriage passed and was signed into law, becoming effective on August 1, 2013.
Adoption
LGBT couples have the right to adopt children, and there is no specific ban on joint couple adoptions or step-parent adoptions. In fact, the only organization in Minnesota dedicated to finding homes for children treats opposite-sex and same-sex couples identically.
Hate Crimes
Crimes based on sexual orientation have been classified as hate crimes since 1989, and gender identity was added in 1993.
A Good Place to Live
Overall, many LGBT people enjoy living in Minnesota, especially in larger cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul. According to a 2006 survey, 12.5 percent of all people in the state identify as LGBT, giving it the fourth highest population in the U.S. So if you want to move to a northern state, put Minnesota on the list.