Health & Wellness
Gay Vet Reaches Out
Erik Holmgren is a military vet with a mission. He wants to help other veterans, especially new amputees and gay veterans. He has had more obstacles in life than most, yet feels his struggles have [...]
A Gay Girl’s Guide to Life after College
I’ve made it. It’s been a year, and I’m still standing. Still breathing. Still living. I’ve made it through that awkward, awful, and (yes, I’ll say it) awesome year after college when the world is [...]
Family & Friends
Skirting the Issues: Five Things
Five years ago, on Pride Weekend, I stepped out the front door of my condo dressed as female for the first time. I had absolutely no clue about make-up or hair back then, meaning that [...]
A Word In Edgewise: War Horse, War Horses, and a Thought About Pride
While considering our close connections to all the other creatures on planet Earth, I realized that War Horse, the Tony Award-winning play opening this week at the Orpheum, offers a splendid dramatic example of this interconnectedness. Based [...]
After Marriage: Stories Crying To Be Told
By Polly Kellogg I sobbed in the car as I was driving to the Capitol for the gay marriage vote. My tears were about my lifetime of amorphous gay pain that was suddenly safe to [...]
Skirting the Issues: Lily
Lily swallowed and returned her near-empty beer to the tabletop. A half second and quarter smile later, she said, “God, Dad, even when I was a kid, you’d say how it’s important to be able [...]
Volunteerism: It’s a Win-Win!
By Daniel Krueger Like most people, I eagerly anticipated the joys of retirement: Winter vacations in warm climates, sleeping in late when I choose, expanding my social network, dedicating more time to causes and organizations [...]
Pets
When Size Doesn’t Matter
New apartment complex takes pet-friendly to a whole new level. By Todd Pernsteiner Being a dog at one local living community is nothing to bark at. In fact, no matter how large or small the [...]
Pet Pride Gift Guide
Even our furry allies can show their support this Pride season with these fun fashions. Grab your credit card, and I’ll see you online! Cat Rainbow Mohawk Hat Made from acrylic blend yarns, this hat [...]
Meet Ouie Pierre!
Check out the Ouie Pierre Photo Gallery at the end of article. Ouie Pierre is one hot dog. He’s been in ads around the world and lives in Minneapolis with his daddies. Always ready with [...]
2013 Pet Gift Guide
Ouie Pierre’s Pick - Accessory: I’m often seen rockin’ a rainbow scarf in support of my two dads. They love each other–so what? It’s all good to me. Pictured here, available at for $3.00-$5.00 on Amazon.com and [...]
Vet Q&A: Dr. Dan Anderson
Lavender will run a Vet Q&A in our Pet Issues as well as online. If you have a question you’d like answered by a Veterinarian, email it to editor@lavendermagazine.com. Q: I was thinking of getting [...]
Lifestyles & Communities
Pride VIP
By Ryan McEnaney After a recent return to Minnesota from years of working in Los Angeles, Mark Hayes was determined to bring a fresh approach to Twin Cities PRIDE. His company, the clique, has partnered [...]
Marriage In Minnesota: A Retrospective
Photos by Sophia Hantzes / Written by Shane Lueck Marriage equality in Minnesota has been in development ever since 1970 when Jack Baker and Michael McConnell first applied for a marriage license. Since then, Minnesota [...]
When Size Doesn’t Matter
New apartment complex takes pet-friendly to a whole new level. By Todd Pernsteiner Being a dog at one local living community is nothing to bark at. In fact, no matter how large or small the [...]
True Blue: Darin McDonald Redefines Authenticity By Becoming Saint Paul’s First Gay Cop
Darin McDonald has to come out–again and again and again. Not because he’s a gay man (which he is), but because Darin McDonald is…a cop. “When I’m socializing, it makes me laugh, because most of [...]
From the Editor: Celebrate Love!
Welcome to Lavender’s 2013 Pride Issue. The theme is “Celebrate Love!” and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Looking at the cover, it’s all about what we can celebrate and what we can look [...]
Faith
Queer and Dignified…and Catholic. Huh?
By Jim Smith GLBT Catholics and progressive Catholics in general get hassled from both sides of the holy water font. One one side, from some non-Catholics and former Catholics who wonder aloud–quite reasonably enough–why queer and [...]
The Book of Brian
A Gay Mormon’s Reflections on the Book of Mormon By Brian Harper I bought my tickets for the Book of Mormon the day they went on sale. And for months I counted the days, excited [...]
Skirting the Issues: Transformation
A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to accompany him to Sunday service at All God’s Children, a church on Park Avenue South in Minneapolis. It had been a long while since I attended [...]
Introducing Father Shannon Kearns
As a transgender man, finding a place in the church has been a difficult journey. I, like many other queer people, have had every reason to walk away from the church (and God) entirely and [...]
While I Was There
From the Editor: Happy New Year
Happy New Year. The last time I wrote, I talked about the cognitive dissonance of balancing the victory of defeating the marriage amendment last November just to have the issue of same-sex marriage be dropped [...]
From the Editor: Lavender Love
I’m in love with this issue. Look at it. The people, the places, the pictures, the people, the people, the people. But, I have terrible timing. Just as we wrapped up the voting for the [...]
Friend Request Sent: General Mills
I was able to attend the 2012 General Mills Pride Reception with a great many GLBTA members. Can we call that historic? I attended the Historic 2012 General Mills Pride Reception? Let’s go with it. [...]
From the Editor: Fountain of Youth
I’m sitting at my desk in the corner of Lavender’s office building, thinking of my first job out of college. I worked for Twin Cities Public Television’s now-defunct corporate subsidiary, Point2Point Communication Solutions, in Lowertown [...]
Summer in the Cities
Beer Dabbler Food There’s no better way to celebrate summer than with the perfect pairing of local beer and local food! The Beer Dabbler is teaming up with Twin Cities Pride to host a celebration [...]
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