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.
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“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.”
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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.
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“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.
A Minneapolis man is behind bars after stabbing a woman early Saturday morning.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of W 24th St. and Pillsbury Avenue. Officers found an adult woman with a non-life-threatening injury consistent with an edged blade.
Authorities said a man known to the woman stabbed her after a verbal argument escalated.
Police arrested a 49-year-old man and is currently at the Hennepin County Jail, pending a second-degree domestic assault charge.
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Police said no one else was hurt. The case remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
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Other organizations that can help include:
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.
The lineup has been announced for the 2026 edition of Snow & Flurry, set for October 10th and 11th at Underground Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. Judge, Merauder, and Arkangel will headline the two-day event also featuring 25+ more acts in total.
Weekend passes are available now, with single-day tickets and daily lineups to be announced later.
Passes are available here.
Line up in order of flyer:
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Judge Merauder Arkangel The Killer Nehemiah Another Enemy Awaiting Eschiel Basic Needs Blistered Spirit Blood Stained Concrete Cudgel Direct Order Dose Enemy Of Man Enervate Ethic Eyes Of Sorrow Fleshless Body Lead Spirit Madman Meantime Neolithic Passion Self Interest Shits Creek Sin Sufrir Skewed What Counts Withdrawal Wrath Of Sanity Velocity
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.
The adult retail store in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake neighborhood issued a public plea for community financial support.
The strain comes after months of directing staff and volunteer time, resources and fundraising efforts toward mutual aid work that supported immigrants during Operation Metro Surge.
The store became one of the most visible community aid hubs after the federal operation began. Following the killing of Renee Good, Smitten Kitten began collecting groceries, diapers, toilet paper and other essentials.
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“Nothing is going to change unless we’re going to do something,” said Anne Lehman, Smitten Kitten social media manager and mutual aid advisor.
The store also helped direct efforts toward rent relief for immigrants facing heightened uncertainty and economic hardship.
“People had been hiding out since October. They’re going to need things like diapers, toilet paper and water.” Lehman said. “We ended up opening our store as a donation drop-off stop.”
Community support quickly exceeded expectations.
“It felt like every fifteen minutes someone was pulling up in an SUV that just came from Costco,” Lehman said. “As soon as we got it, it would be gone because of how great the need was.”
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Lehman said that the attention also created safety concerns for staff and visitors.
“We had to move where our stuff was because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had caught on to what we were doing and tried to intimidate us,” said Lehman.
In response, the store decided to move its operations elsewhere and began to focus on raising money for necessities. According to Lehman, the establishment raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various needs.
The operation, in part, ended by mid-February, and federal presence in Minnesota diminished. As things began to wind down, so did cash flow at Smitten Kitten.
“There were a lot of weeks where we were cutting it close on payroll,” said Lehman.
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In a social media post, Lehman asked the community to come help support the store by asking for donations, asking people to shop at their store or online.
“We are asking for help, but also all of these things that we’re pouring all of our energy into is not going away,” said Lehman. “If we want to continue doing mutual aid, we have to have a solid foundation of our business as well.”
