Ballot Initiatives Have Changed Minnesota for the Better…And They Will Again

Enshrining Equality: The Push for the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment

Minnesota has been a North Star for hope and progress. When Roe fell, Minnesota protected patients and the providers who care for them. When states across the country turned on transgender people, Minnesota became a refuge, passing a law to protect trans people and their families. And when federal agents swept through our streets last winter, Minnesotans rapidly built mutual aid networks and defended their neighbors’ rights as their own.

We know how to stand up against threats to our freedoms, and we know that for progress to sustain, it needs fierce protection. In a time of escalating national threats, we must enshrine equality, fairness, and freedom into the foundation of our state laws.

Minnesotans for Equal Rights is a cross-sector coalition fighting to cement a comprehensive Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) directly into the Minnesota State Constitution. This is our opportunity to make Minnesota a state where equality isn’t a hope — it’s a promise. Passing the Minnesota ERA would offer everyone the strongest possible protections against discrimination, no matter who’s in power in state government. Passing one of the nation’s most inclusive ERA’s is a long-term fight, and alongside our partners, we are determined to secure this victory for Minnesota in 2028.

Take Action

Get involved at minnesotansforequalrights.org: Join our coalition, sign up to volunteer, donate to fund the movement to pass the ERA, and spread the word in your community about why passing the ERA matters!

Minnesota has a rare chance to write unconditional equality into our constitution and show every American whose freedoms are under attack what’s possible. 

Neighbor by Neighbor: The Legacy of Minnesotans United

In 2012, Minnesotans United for All Families built the largest grassroots campaign the state had ever seen. Tens of thousands of Minnesotans joined together to defeat a constitutional amendment that would have permanently denied same-sex couples the freedom to marry.

The campaign changed who saw themselves as part of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, and what they believed was possible. People put signs in their yards, wore T-shirts, made calls, knocked on doors, and talked to their neighbors about why it mattered. Our opponents believed they could use discrimination against LGBTQ+ people for political gain. Minnesotans said no — for their neighbors, for their friends and family, and for a state where everyone is treated with dignity.

Together, we built a legacy bigger than one election. The relationship, organizing infrastructure, and public support built through the Minnesotans United campaign created the momentum to win marriage equality at the legislature the following year.

That is the lesson we carry forward: Lasting change comes from bringing people in, giving them real ways to lead, and helping them see that their actions matter. When people come together and refuse to accept discrimination as inevitable, we can change what is possible — and build a just future for Minnesota.