From the Editor: Where We Came From, Where We’re Going

What do you know about LGBTQ history?

Don’t answer that immediately. Let me first state to those who have lived through everything our community has gone through, this column is not for you. 

You are more than welcome to read it as you have every one of these columns our magazine has published over the past 27 years. However, I have a specific audience in mind for this one: Our future generations. 

You see, there are a growing number of younger LGBTQ people who have not lived to see a lot that we older generations have experienced. Yet, we all share some common situations that have made us more visible than we were some 50-plus years ago. 

Yet, you are all witnessing a lot of changes now. 

In recent discussions, I often refer to our Small Town and Community Pride Issue. The sheer number of Pride celebrations representing smaller communities has been increasing in leaps and bounds in the past few years. That issue only mentioned 19 of these celebrations. After the editorial deadline had passed, I became aware of a dozen more such celebrations across our state and region. 

Who knew that we would have so many different LGBTQ communities across Minnesota and over our state line? That was practically unthinkable at the time of the first Twin Cities Pride march. 

I often talk about “beacons” often in this context. They shine a light guiding us to where we need to be. Over twenty years ago, the beacon that shined from the Twin Cities stretched for hundreds of miles and across state lines. People followed the beacon and found community and people like ourselves. 

This year, I explored several smaller communities to how much this has changed. They have. The vibrancy of these communities is an indicator of how much the times have changed towards adding new chapters to our history book. Now, the beacons have multiplied by dozens and are now much closer to where we are than ever. 

Pride is one indicator of a community. You had to explore more of it. That’s what I did. Believe me, I’ve got some tales to tell in coming issues.

But, first, we have this issue to talk about. 

We look back at the places where we used to hang out here in the Twin Cities. We also look back at 40 years of the Gay Games. Even with a slice of today’s technology, we talk about a podcast that looks back at the books that shaped our LGBTQ journey. 

And for National Coming Out Day, we also present Jack Jablonski – a Minnesota hockey icon who recently came out as one of our own!

These are just a few of the highlights from another issue that looks back at where we came from…and where we’re going. And, yes, we’re going places!