Team Ilhan Celebrating Pride Weekend

This past weekend Team Ilhan was out and about across Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District celebrating Pride weekend with so many friends, neighbors, staff, and supporters. We kicked off Pride Weekend on Friday at Beer Dabbler Pride at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Our team followed that up on Saturday with a booth at Twin Cities Pride in Loring Park while some of our supporters spent time with the community at Minneapolis People’s Pride. We wrapped up our weekend of celebration marching in the Twin Cities Pride Parade and celebrating the second day of festivities in Loring Park.

The celebrations this year were extra special considering, here in Minnesota, the DFL trifecta were able to successfully pass a slate of legislation making our state a refuge for trans youth and their families. Unfortunately, so many folks across the country are experiencing destabilizing uncertainty considering just this past year a record 500+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in legislatures across the country. While a number of right-wing organizations continue to try and turn back the clock on LGBTQ+ rights, now– more than ever– it’s essential to have elected leaders who will fight to protect LGBTQ+ communities at the national level, so states cannot pick and choose who gets the opportunity to experience life with the freedom and safety everyone deserves.

This Pride, we recommit ourselves to our shared, ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ equality. We recommit ourselves to ensuring all LGBTQ+ people are safe in their communities. We recommit our solidarity with trans Women of Color in ensuring the abhorrent and disproportionate level of violence they experience ends. In 2023, 84% of trans and gender expansive people who lost their lives were women of color with Black trans women making up a shocking 50% of this unacceptable demographic. We have to do a better job at creating resources that protect vulnerable members of our communities, and it starts with ensuring our communities are represented by folks who truly care about the safety and well-being of each and every community member. To those who are mourning while celebrating Pride, we mourn with you ❤️.

Let us all take the joy and celebrations of Pride Weekend and turn them into action to protect and fight alongside LGBTQ+ people, year round 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️.

-Team Ilhan