Friday, June 1, 2012
6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Aria at Jeune Lune, 105 North First Street, North Loop, Minneapolis

Our emcee for the evening will be Jason Matheson, Entertainment Reporter and host of Weekend Buzz on FOX9. The evening will include a chance to win a honeymoon of a deal at the silent and live auctions. Plus, our very own 515 Players will perform a selection from their current statewide show “515 – The Tour!”

Tickets are $150/person or $1,500 for a table.  Please order tickets online or by calling the Chorus office for tickets or corporate sponsorship opportunities: 612-339-7664.

That’s why right now we are in the middle of two powerful story-telling projects:

1. The 515 Players are taking their show “515 – The Tour!” all across the state. The show features vignettes based on real stories of discrimination against families. So far, we have visited Duluth, Ely, East Grand Forks, Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Brainerd, Mankato, and Austin.
    

   If you haven’t seen the show, be sure to save the date for our “homecoming” on Thursday, June 21, at the Cowles Center in downtown Minneapolis. Tickets will be on sale soon!

2. We are continuing the video story-telling project we started at last year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival. You can see the stories we’ve collected so far by clicking on the link below. We are always looking for additional stories! If you are interested in sharing your story, just fill out the online form on our website.

The 515 Players will be in Mankato on Friday, April 27; in Austin on Saturday, April 28; and in Winona on Sunday, April 29.

515 Players”515 – The Tour” is a theatrical presentation of the 515 Minnesota laws that discriminate against same-sex couples and their families. With each performance, the 515 Players present a message to prompt change in the dialogue in Minnesota around equality for same-sex couples. Performances last 60 minutes including time for Q&A, and all those currently listed on our website are free and open to the public.

There are several ways you to follow and find more information about “515 – The Tour”:

• On the 515 Players page on our website
• On the events section of our Facebook page
• On Twitter using the hashtag #515thetour

We hope to see you at a performance soon! You can let us know you are coming by visiting the events section of our Facebook page.

The 515 Players hit the road this Friday on our Equality Tour across Minnesota! First stops: Duluth this Friday, March 23, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Ely this Saturday, March 24, at 2 p.m.

515 Players”515 – The Tour” is a theatrical presentation of the 515 Minnesota laws that discriminate against same-sex couples and their families. With each performance, the 515 Players present a message to prompt change in the dialogue in Minnesota around equality for same-sex couples. Performances last 60 minutes including time for Q&A, and all those currently listed on our website are free and open to the public.

There are several ways you to follow and find more information about “515 – The Tour”:

• On the 515 Players page on our website
• On the events section of our Facebook page
• On Twitter using the hashtag #515thetour

We hope to see you at a performance soon! You can let us know you are coming by visiting the events section of our Facebook page.

About PFund
PFund Foundation is a community foundation that advances social justice for LGBT communities in the Upper Midwest by providing hands on assistance to organizations, funding systems change work, developing leaders, inspiring giving, and convening & reporting on issues of importance for our communities. Established in 1987 as Philanthrofund Foundation in Minneapolis when four friends pooled $2,000, PFund is now supported by thousands of individuals in dozens of states who have created a vibrant and vital community foundation that celebrates and strengthens our communities. PFund is one of only a handful of foundations in the nation created specifically by and for LGBT communities. PFund envisions a time when LGBT people are celebrated and live free from discrimination, violence, invisibility and isolation. Today, PFund manages nearly $1 million in assets, enjoying the support of committed donors and dedicated volunteers from LGBT and allied communities. More at PFundOnline.org.

Supporters of the campaign can sign up to receive a free bumper sticker. Visit the Minnesotans United webpage to get one!

The Circuit Court announced today that Proposition 8 is in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. According to the court opinion, “The People of California may not, consistent with the Federal Constitution, add to their state constitution a provision that has no more practical effect than to strip gays and lesbians their right to use the official designation that the State and society give to committed relationships, thereby adversely affecting the status and dignity of the members of a disfavored class.”

Prop. 8 amended the California Constitution to eliminate marriage rights for same-sex couples in November 2008. The legal team opposing Prop. 8, headed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights, argued that the State of California is in violation of the United States Constitution, which includes the right to equal protection under the law. The decision today affirms a lower court decision that also found Prop. 8 unconstitutional.

The lead attorneys in the case, Theodore Olson and David Boies, successfully argued on behalf of two same-sex couples who wish to marry but cannot because of Prop. 8.

The two attorneys were on opposite sides of the Bush v. Gore decision in the year 2000, and Theodore Olson served in the administrations of two Republican Presidents, Ronald W. Reagan and George W. Bush. Noting this, Kaner-Roth stated, “Equality is not a partisan issue. As we discuss a constitutional amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, we hope Minnesota voters acknowledge the fact that state constitutions and the Federal Constitution cannot and should not discriminate against Americans based on sexual orientation.”

The Court’s opinion does not comment on the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims, which means that the eventual outcome of the litigation remains very uncertain, as does the timeline for securing a final ruling.

This decision leaves intact 515 state laws that discriminate against same-sex couples and their families. Our focus remains on eliminating discrimination in Minnesota. To that end, we will continue telling the stories of same-sex couples impacted by discrimination, and we will continue to encourage Minnesotans to vote NO on the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples and therefore cement discrimination in the Minnesota constitution.

As we look forward to 2012, I would like to thank you for your support in 2011. Whether you came to the Capitol, read our updates, told someone you know about the ways the 515 discriminatory statutes affect your family, attended a performance of the 515 Players, or visited us at one of the Pride Festivals all around the state, you made a difference! I thank you for helping us advance equality in Minnesota.

It was a difficult year in many ways. But through it all, your passion, energy, and commitment made me so proud of our community and gave me the confidence that together we will achieve equality for same-sex couples and their families.

Project 515 remains strongly focused on our mission – equal rights and considerations under the law for same-sex couples and their families in Minnesota. We will continue to advocate for the elimination of the 515 statutes that discriminate against same-sex couples and their families in Minnesota. We will continue to tell the stories of families who are impacted by this discrimination. And we will continue to take leadership as one of the founding organizations of Minnesotans United for All Families, the campaign that will defeat the anti-family amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples in Minnesota.

I am thankful for all of your support and excited about the work ahead in 2012 and beyond. While Minnesotans United’s mission will be complete on November 6, 2012, Project 515′s work in the year ahead will both complement the campaign’s efforts as well as build momentum for November 7 and beyond. If you have not already done so, I hope you’ll consider a year-end gift to Project 515 to help advance equality for all families in Minnesota.

A very happy New Year to you and yours. Thank you so much for your support and for all you do on behalf of ALL Minnesota families.

Warmly,

Ann Kaner-Roth, Project 515 Executive Director

I have been with my partner, Ronnie, for seven years. We share a house, two cars, and a life together. But time after time, I’ve found that Minnesota lacks laws to recognize and validate our commitment to each other. Our relationship does not get the same respect as others.

I really do believe that in a few years, we’ll look back at this time in Minnesota’s history as a turning point for same-sex couples and their families. When that time comes, I’m going to be proud of the ways in which I helped Project 515 ensure equality for all families.

Will you join me in supporting Project 515? Your gift to Project 515 of $515, $250, $100, $50, or $25, will help us educate Minnesotans about the 515 Minnesota statutes that discriminate against same-sex couples, and it will help Project 515 lead the way to equality.

Please consider making a financial contribution to Project 515 today. 

Thank you so much for your support and thank you for all you do on behalf of ALL Minnesota families!

Warmly,

 
Christopher Straub