Minneapolis, MN
Pride Cultural Arts Center opens; Mayor declares Minneapolis a safe space for LGBTQ+ community
Pride Cultural Arts Center opens; Mayor declares Minneapolis a safe space for LGBTQ+ community
The City of Minneapolis, on Saturday, sent a message that it is a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community as nonprofit Twin Cities Pride opened its new Pride Cultural Arts Center.
The Pride Cultural Arts Center wasn’t opened in response to recent executive orders by President Donald Trump targeting transgender people, but Mayor Jacob Frey made a clear stand against those federal policies on opening day.
The center, located in the former Aveda Salon in downtown Minneapolis, has been months in the making after nonprofit Twin Cities Pride got a grant from the city to make it possible, said Board of Directors President Jimmy Luckey.
“This space represents a haven for individuals, for the queer community,” Luckey said.
Inside the 6,000 square-foot space, art radiated off of nearly every wall, featuring local artists like Mikha Dominguez and 15-year-old Ollie Caldwell, who shared a painting of their personal empowerment icon.
“It was really hard as a kid to be queer, I didn’t even know the word until about age 10. And she really helped me get through it,” Caldwell said.
“My art is a love letter to the queer community,” Dominguez shared.
Describing the rest of the center and its services, Luckey said, “We have a large community space which currently is being utilized for many different purposes, one of which is our ASL class, which is offered by the Queer Deaf Society on Thursday nights. We also have our artist in residency program with a cohort of five individuals who have their own studios in this space, along with our gender-affirming wardrobe.”
Luckey said the previous iteration of the ‘Rainbow Wardrobe’ was in the basement, making it less accessible. The new one takes on “more of a storefront aesthetic,” he said.
“A lot of our customers don’t feel safe in the mainstream, whether it’s a perceived or an actual physical threat. So we have a space here where all are welcome. There’s no judgment. We provide styling resources,” Luckey shared.
Around 1,500 people took home clothes last year, he said, adding the hope is the new space is used even more.
The Minneapolis moment was also a clear stand against recent executive orders targeting transgender people. President Donald Trump, on day one, began with an order declaring that there are only two sexes, rejecting that people can transition or have gender identities that are not strictly male or female. President Trump’s stated purpose is to protect women.
“Regardless of what’s happening at the federal level, in Minneapolis, no matter who you are or who you love, you are loved in return,” Mayor Jacob Frey said during his remarks.
“We’re not an abomination,” Dominguez said. “We are not different… We still have debt, we still have college, things to pay for, we still deal with a lot of things, plus the attack from the government.”
“But we’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going nowhere… We do belong and we won’t be erased,” they continued.
Opening day also came after Twin Cities Pride dropped Minneapolis-based Target as a sponsor over the company’s decision to roll back its DEI initiatives.
Other corporations like Aveda Salon and Ikea supported the center, Luckey said, adding that Ikea donated most of the furniture.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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