Minnesota gay rights
Based on the most recent survey findings, Minnesota appears relatively supportive of the LGBTQ+ community when contrasted with other areas globally.
Survey outcomes were derived from 10 LGBTQ+ Equaldex participants who had either lived in or visited the state of Minnesota.
Perceived SafetyAbsence of verbal harassmentAbsence of threats and violenceSurvey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not precisely reflect current actual circumstances.
Equal TreatmentTreatment by general publicTreatment by law enforcementTreatment by religious groups
Visibility & RepresentationRepresentation in entertainment
CultureInterest groups and clubs
ServicesSupport and social services
History
Homosexual activity in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, being homosexual is within the bounds of the law.
Current status
The US Supreme Court's ruling, handed down in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), invalidated all sodomy regulations founded upon the principles of privacy and liberty. The ruling overturned any remaining prohibitions in all US states that forbade sodomy. Minnesota&39;s prohibition on sodomy was officially repealed back in May of 2023.
Same-sex marriage in Minnesota
?Marriage between individuals of the same sex in Minnesota is considered legal.
Current status
A piece of legislation overturning a prior law that had forbidden marriages between anyone except a man and a woman was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton.
Following a situation where a pair of men tried to get a marriage license, the court rendered a determination, asserting that while the law's language wasn't explicitly excluding same-sex couples from getting married, such was the law's goal.
Right to change legal gender in Minnesota
?The prerogative to alter one's legally recognized gender is permitted in Minnesota, though a medical assessment is a must.
Gender-affirming care in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, gender-affirming care is within the law.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Minnesota
?Hate crime protections in Minnesota
?Whether there exist hate crime protections in Minnesota is something that remains unknown.
LGBT discrimination in Minnesota
?LGBT discrimination in Minnesota is against the law.
Current status
The language provides explicit protections grounded in both gender identity and sexual orientation. Exceptions are present for entities that are religiously affiliated or run.
LGBT employment discrimination in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, LGBT employment discrimination is related to both sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
The Supreme Court of the United States handed down a judgment on June the fifteenth, 2020, decreeing that discrimination concerning employment that is rooted in either sexual orientation or gender identity stands as a violation of Title VII within the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and is regarded as a form of sex discrimination. Sexual orientation protections at the state level continue to exist.
Sexual orientation and gender identity
The EEOC, operating under the Democratic President Obama, arrived at a landmark conclusion which held that gender identity fell within the umbrella of Title VII safeguards as provided by the Civil Rights Act (which had initially been drafted to safeguard individuals from discrimination based on sex). Protections related to sexual orientation at the state level were still in place.
LGBT housing discrimination in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, LGBT housing discrimination has to do with sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
It is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of either sexual orientation or gender identity. Religious exemptions do apply.
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign expresses that "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates that grantees, in addition to participants in HUD initiatives, adhere to local and state regulations against discrimination that encompass both sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign expresses that "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates that grantees, in addition to participants in HUD initiatives, adhere to local and state regulations against discrimination that encompass both sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Same-sex adoption in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, same-sex adoption is permitted.
Although no official law explicitly permits joint adoption, neither does it explicitly prohibit it, and there have been no state court rulings on this topic. Second-parent adoption by someone in a same-sex partnership is also not explicitly forbidden by state law; indeed, several lower courts in Hennepin and Atkins counties have given permission for second-parent adoptions to proceed.
Intersex infant surgery in Minnesota
?Serving openly in military in Minnesota
?With regard to openly serving in the military in Minnesota, lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals have the go-ahead, but transgender people face a ban.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
On January the twenty-seventh, 2025, President Trump put his signature on an executive order that forbids transgender people from serving in the military.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, submitted a memorandum in court pertaining to the executive order that President Trump had issued the month prior on February the tenth, 2025.
From that point until March the eighteenth, 2025, the U.S. military was not allowing transgender people to enlist and put a stop to both providing and covering the costs of gender transition procedures meant for service members.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, submitted a memorandum in court pertaining to the executive order that President Trump had issued the month prior on February the tenth, 2025.
From that point until March the eighteenth, 2025, the U.S. military was not allowing transgender people to enlist and put a stop to both providing and covering the costs of gender transition procedures meant for service members.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
A new policy was brought into force by the Trump administration which barred individuals with a &34;condition&34; termed &34;gender dysphoria&34; from military service.
Blood donations by MSMs in Minnesota
?In Minnesota, blood donations by MSM individuals are permitted.
Current status
Banned (less than 6-month deferral) under federal United States law
The FDA made public changes to its eligibility guidelines for blood donors back in April of 2020, shortening the period of MSM deferral from twelve months down to three. This adjustment was rolled out when the COVID-19 pandemic first began, a time when there was urgent need for blood.
Banned (indefinite deferral) under federal United States law
The United States began enforcing a total prohibition on blood donations originating from gay men back in 1983. The main reason given for the ban was the notion that HIV transmission was highly likely, with health officials singling out men who engage in sexual activity with other men (MSM) as presenting a substantial hazard to the security of the blood being supplied.
Equal age of consent in Minnesota
?The issue of equal age of consent in Minnesota is unclear.