February 26, 2004 - MPR’s Lorna Benson profiles Liz Mc Elhinney and Siddiqi Ray, a lesbian couple in Minnesota who recently married in San Francisco, which began to grant marriage licenses to gay couples.
March 22, 2004 - Several thousand people attended a rally at the Capitol today in support of a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage. Supporters of the ban say they want the Minnesota constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. While ban supporters rallied outside the Capitol, their allies in the Senate tried, but failed, to force a floor vote. Opponents of the amendment say the measure is mean spirited and would codify discrimination in the Minnesota Constitution. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
March 25, 2004 - Midday presents excerpts from debate on bill to amend the constitution to define marriage. On March 24th, the Minnesota State House voted on a proposal that would let voters decide if the Minnesota constitution should ban same-sex marriage. The vote was 88-44 in favor of proposal.
March 25, 2004 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports that the Minnesota State House passed a measure by 88-44 that would put a constitutional amendment question on the ballot in November 2004. It goes next to a Senate committee for vote, where it may be defeated.
March 26, 2004 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on a committee vote in the DFL Senate defeating proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage. That measure would allow the voters to decide if the Minnesota Constitution should ban same sex marriage and any legal equivalent. The committee did approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent the courts from forcing the Legislature to define gay marriage, as the Massachusetts Supreme Court has done.
March 26, 2004 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports on the debate over same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue. The civil rights argument has caused concern among some African American religious leaders in Minnesota, especially when they've heard it compared to the fight for racial equality. While they argue that the civil rights struggle is completely different than the gay marriage issue, others counter that one should look to history in considering discrimination.
April 7, 2004 - CATHY Three Minnesotans and a Minnesota organization will be honored tonight at the 8th annual Ann Bancroft Awards, which recognize the achievements of girls and women. One of the winners is a 17-year-old African-American student. Tsione Wolde-Michael (see OWN wold --like mold-- michael) is the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants. She attends Totino-Grace High School in Fridley... where she's worked to promote tolerance and fight discrimination. Wolde-Michael founded the school's first Diversity Club. Last year, she was chosen to spend a summer at Yale as part of the "Junior Statesmen of America Program." Tsione Wolde-Michael says after she arrived at Totino Grace... she had second-thoughts about staying there.
May 18, 2004 - MPR’s Chris Julin interviews three same-sex couples in Duluth about their thoughts on marriage. Gay men and lesbians don't speak with one voice on the subject. Some of them don't want to get married, and even those who do have different ideas about what marriage is.
May 28, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post profiles Cody Rogahn and Jonathan Yarbrough, a couple from west-central Minnesota that became one of the first same-sex couples to take advantage of the new Massachusetts law allowing gay couples to wed.
June 7, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Annie Baxter reports that for thirty years, St. Cloud has had an ordinance on its books that forbids immigrants from driving taxis. It wasn't enforced; in fact, most people had forgotten about it. City officials were embarrassed to learn of the ordinance recently, and promptly swore they'd get rid of it. The matter is under consideration in the city council, but even so, Somalis say they can't get jobs as taxi drivers...and they're wondering why.