Proposed bills aim to boost Minnesota's trans refuge status, especially in public schools

Rep. Leigh Finke wants to make the state's schools safer for LGBTQ students by expanding the trans refuge bill and other protections Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law last year.

The first-term DFL lawmaker from St. Paul has introduced a series of bills to do just that. One would bar schools from banning the display of rainbow flags and another would require school districts to adopt gender-inclusive policies for extracurricular activities — including sports. Another would provide funding for nonprofits that help LGBTQ families relocate to the North Star State. Finke has also introduced legislation that would require insurers to cover gender-affirming care in Minnesota.

Some of last year's reforms have drawn families from other states including Texas, Tennessee and Florida that enacted restrictions on reproductive healthcare and banned books on "obscene material" in schools that typically take aim at LGBTQ issues.

"It's a promise," Finke said of the bills she introduced, "that at least our legal space will protect you."

Finke, the state's first trans legislator, was also moved in part by efforts by Minnesota school boards in Minnesota to ban Pride flags on campuses. A recent incident in Worthington caught her attention, but she said previous proposals in communities like Annandale also illustrated the need for such legislation. Still, Finke stressed that her bill is specifically meant to bar schools and other public agencies from banning rainbow displays — think of it more as a pro-refracted light stance.

"This is not a Pride flag bill," Finke said.

All of her proposals have had at least one committee hearing. But that doesn't guarantee they'll reach either the House or Senate floor. Finke believes there's momentum behind the boost for further LGBTQ protections at the Capitol but that the legislation still has hurdles to clear. She said St. Paul voters signaled their support for her policies, given that she won her seat by more than 60 points.

"There's certainly no glide path," Finke said.

It's not immediately clear what kind of opposition her proposals will face. House Republicans did not respond to a request for comment.

Still, diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly those focused on LGBTQ youth, have become a flashpoint in Minnesota school board politics in recent years as the issue has become a consistent presence in the national consciousness.

That's partly why Kat Rohn, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization OutFront, said the Legislature should pursue policies that strengthen those protections at the state level.

"It's really important that we have as many solid policies as we can," she said.