St. Louis Park Residents Celebrate Pride Weekend

Crowds packed downtown Minneapolis' sidewalks and, in some places, spilled into the streets to take part in the anual Twin Cities Pride festival. Among the revelers were many St. Louis Park residents and church groups. 

For St. Louis Park resident Aleks Hindin, marching and volunteering with OutFront was a no-brainer, even though he's straight. OutFront, the state's largest gay-rights organization, is leading the charge by gay activists to oppose the proposed amendment to the constitution that would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

"I think it's ridiculous that, in 2011, with the country and the state in the shape they're in, that we're even considering this," Hindin said. 

Part of his drive, he said, comes from his family. His mother and father, also marching in the parade, and his religion taught him that standing up for others was important, he said. 

"My Jewish great-grandparents in Russia and Lithuania were treated like this," he said. "The government pointed to them when times got tough and said 'Go kick them around and ignore your own problems.'"

"I also come from an obnoxiously political family," he added with a laugh.

Hinden wasn't alone in his support for LGBT rights this weekend.

Spirits seemed to be running high in the activists' portion of Sunday's Pride Parade. Several hundred volunteers marched with Minnesota's half-dozen or so LGBT rights groups, at times repeating a deafening chant last heard in the state capitol on the night the state House of Representatives voted to send the anti-gay constitutional amendment to voters in 2012, rhythmic shouts of "just vote no!" echoing down the concrete canyons.

Maurice Davis and Shekinah Thornton of St. Louis Park, both of who are straight, said they would both be talking about the amendment to family and friends and urging "no" votes.

“People should be allowed to associate with anyone they want, including marrying them,” said Davis. “Gays should be allowed to marry.”

“You can’t tell people they can’t love someone,” Thornton added.

The parade and festival were held against a backdrop that, community leaders said, mixed equal parts hope for and frustration with the state of gay rights in the United States. On Friday, the New York state legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage in that state.

“New York gives us a lot of hope,” said Monica Meyer, head of OutFront. “We are working to inspire Minnesotans to go to the polls and vote no. Doing so makes Minnesota a better state.

“We expect an even higher voter turnout than normal in Minnesota," she added, "and we know we are going to have to raise and spend about $5 million at least to get our message to voters.”