🔎 Behind the bathhouse ban

Minneapolis' Bathhouse Ban: "Undoing an Injustice"

Adult bathhouses have long been a gathering place for gay men to engage in consensual sexual activity, relax, and just exist without social stigma. They have also been illegal in the city of Minneapolis since a ban was enacted in 1988. As the city council is now considering lifting the ban, we talked with public historian Noah Barth and MPR News producer Sam Stroozas, who has done deep reporting on the topic. [MPR News / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

• Combatting HIV/AIDS: Though fear over the spread of HIV contributed to the banning of bathhouses, Barth points out that the existence of bathhouses helps public health advocates to reach otherwise unreachable communities. Many people that frequented bathhouses in Minneapolis were still closeted and may not have felt safe going to a pride march or a social services organization, so giving away condoms and HIV education at bathhouses was the only way to reach these folks. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
• Unequal policing: Minnesota outlawed gay sex via a law against sodomy until 2001, and patrons were routinely ticketed and arrested under this law when police raided bathhouses in Minneapolis. After bathhouses were banned, some men who didn't have any other safe space to engage in sexual activity turned to public parks, which led to more unsafe sex and a rise in hate crimes that often went unaddressed by police. [MPR News / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
• What happens next? Six members of the Minneapolis City Council have signed on as co-authors of the measure to lift the ban. Opponents of the measure express fear over the spread of HIV and question if now is the time to be addressing this, as Minneapolis and Minnesota are already under so much scrutiny from the federal government. The City Council is expected to take a final vote in June after a public hearing. [MPR News / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

Supermax: Following the latest collective bargaining agreement in the WNBA that drastically raised salary caps for players, Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier has signed a "supermax" contract to make $1.4 million in her next year playing with the team, which is the maximum allowable amount. [Bring Me The News]

Mining ban lifted: The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 to lift a 20-year mining ban on an area of the Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The vote was a major win for mining company Twin Metals and supporters who believe copper and nickel deposits under the forest could jumpstart a second mining boom in the Iron Range. Conservationists warn that any mining in the area could pollute the waters of the BWCA, and called the decision "a stark warning call" for protected lands nationwide. [MPR News]

'Operation Cold SNAP': Federal agents executed search warrants at 20 SNAP retailers in the Twin Cities and charged them with SNAP trafficking, or fraudulently trading SNAP benefits for cash or ineligible items. If charges are proven, retailers could be removed from the program or subject to other penalties. [Pioneer Press]

Plans revealed: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold have unveiled designs for their proposed $600 million renovations to Grand Casino Arena, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Saint Paul RiverCentre. The plan is contingent on an ask of $200 million in funding from the state which legislators have yet to grant the city. The current legislative session ends on May 18. [Pioneer Press]

Happy 420: On today's episode of the podcast, host and local weed expert Sean McPherson joined forces with Racket co-owner and "Weed Weviewer" Jessica Armbruster to come up with a list of five fantastic local weed products to celebrate. Now that THC-infused sugar is available, the flavor options are getting wild. [City Cast Twin Cities]

North Loop tunes: The Hewing Hotel, Graze Food Hall, and the North Loop Green have all recently announced their lineups for summer concerts. I'm personally stoked to see Davina and the Vagabonds and Kiss the Tiger on the roof of the Hewing Hotel. What outdoor concerts are you excited for this summer? Reply to this email to let us know, and we may include them in a future summer concert roundup! [MSP Mag]

Monday, Apr 20

• 🆓 Teen Reads Book Club | Red Balloon Bookshop
• 🆓 Uproar Comedy Open Mic | Bryant Lake Bowl
• 🆓 Open Jam - Open Mic | Minnesota Music Cafe
• 🆓 Analog Game Nights | Utepils Brewing
• 🎻 Accordo | Westminster Hall
• 🎸 Ty Segall with Mod Lang | First Avenue
• 🆓🌿 The BIG Zen20 | Hook and Ladder
• 🆓 Variety Open Mic | Laugh Camp Comedy Club

Tuesday, Apr 21

• 🆓 Ballet Tuesdays: Mary Poppins | Landmark Center
• 🎭 The Wizard of Oz | Children's Theatre Company
• 🎬 Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) 35mm | The Parkway Theater
• 🎨 Paint & Sip | Boom Island Brewing
• 🎸 The Reasonable Doubts | Turf Club
• 😂 Canned Laughter Improv Comedy | Sisyphus Brewing
• 🌿 Our Power, Our Planet: Earth Week Fest | Phoenix Theater

• Marketing Content Manager at Mitchell Hamline School of Law | $80k – $95k per year
• Director of Advancement at Dodge Nature Center | $85k – $100k per year
• Communications Manager at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies | $120k – $143k per year
• Controller at Minneapolis Foundation | $123k – $185k per year
• Head of Agency Success & Operations at Minnesota Star Tribune | $120k – $154k per year