Held in Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis’ People’s Pride offers a more affordable and smaller-scale pride celebration.

Founded in 2021, People’s Pride is an alternative to Twin Cities Pride as it strives to disconnect from big corporations. This year, the event, held on Saturday, featured up to 100 booths and thousands of attendees.

Local businesses, artists, community organizations came together at Powderhorn Park to support queer people and each other. 

“It’s nice to engage with the community outside of it being facilitated by corporations,” Dian Castro, an attendee of the People’s Pride, said. 

Luke Mars, a volunteer for People’s Pride on Saturday, said he lends support to this festival because of their local roots and continued support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“I know if I’m buying something it goes directly to a local queer person instead of a mega corporation. People’s Pride returns Pride’s roots as a protest and the ways many institutions have turned their backs on the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mars. 

Leo Rodriguez, who attended People’s Pride, said they felt the booths at Twin Cities Pride represented more large corporations, such as banks. Rodriguez added they felt some of these booths do not align with the queer community’s values.

“At People’s Pride, everything was geared towards serving the community and building activist consciousness,” said Rodriguez. 

Instead of relying on corporate sponsors to fund the event, People’s Pride used GoFundMe to support the costs of the event.

“Corporate greed has no place in the queer community,” People’s Pride said on their website.

Those who attended People’s Pride were still upset with Twin Cities Pride as they feel it mostly showcases big corporations and has less focus on supporting small local businesses.

“We went to Twin Cities Pride last year, and it felt a tiny bit fake. We wanted a more authentic experience,” said Castro.

With the anticipation of Pride this year also came the controversy about association with Target after it was released that Target would be removing their DEI program. 

This news was upsetting for many who attended the festival in the past, as their DEI program was built “to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and promote Black-owned businesses,” said MPR News.

The festival ended up removing their affiliation with Target. 

“As we grow, so will our efforts to identify areas for improvement. This will include, but not be limited to, our programming and our communications. We will always seek the truth and expect the same from our partners,” said Twin Cities Pride in their mission statement.

“We promise to listen and strive to create an environment of understanding, to amplify each of our voices, and forge a path forward as a unified group,” Twin Cities Pride said on their website. 

Small businesses have stepped up to help fund Twin Cities Pride and cover the $700,000 loss after losing many ties with corporations. 

“It’s actual real people, their roots, and their art, and it’s not Target,” another People’s Pride attendee, Celia Cortopassi, said.

Held in Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis’ People’s Pride offers a more affordable and smaller-scale pride celebration.

Founded in 2021, People’s Pride is an alternative to Twin Cities Pride as it strives to disconnect from big corporations. This year, the event, held on Saturday, featured up to 100 booths and thousands of attendees.

Local businesses, artists, community organizations came together at Powderhorn Park to support queer people and each other. 

“It’s nice to engage with the community outside of it being facilitated by corporations,” Dian Castro, an attendee of the People’s Pride, said. 

Luke Mars, a volunteer for People’s Pride on Saturday, said he lends support to this festival because of their local roots and continued support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“I know if I’m buying something it goes directly to a local queer person instead of a mega corporation. People’s Pride returns Pride’s roots as a protest and the ways many institutions have turned their backs on the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mars. 

Leo Rodriguez, who attended People’s Pride, said they felt the booths at Twin Cities Pride represented more large corporations, such as banks. Rodriguez added they felt some of these booths do not align with the queer community’s values.

“At People’s Pride, everything was geared towards serving the community and building activist consciousness,” said Rodriguez. 

Instead of relying on corporate sponsors to fund the event, People’s Pride used GoFundMe to support the costs of the event.

“Corporate greed has no place in the queer community,” People’s Pride said on their website.

Those who attended People’s Pride were still upset with Twin Cities Pride as they feel it mostly showcases big corporations and has less focus on supporting small local businesses.

“We went to Twin Cities Pride last year, and it felt a tiny bit fake. We wanted a more authentic experience,” said Castro.

With the anticipation of Pride this year also came the controversy about association with Target after it was released that Target would be removing their DEI program. 

This news was upsetting for many who attended the festival in the past, as their DEI program was built “to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and promote Black-owned businesses,” said MPR News.

The festival ended up removing their affiliation with Target. 

“As we grow, so will our efforts to identify areas for improvement. This will include, but not be limited to, our programming and our communications. We will always seek the truth and expect the same from our partners,” said Twin Cities Pride in their mission statement.

“We promise to listen and strive to create an environment of understanding, to amplify each of our voices, and forge a path forward as a unified group,” Twin Cities Pride said on their website. 

Small businesses have stepped up to help fund Twin Cities Pride and cover the $700,000 loss after losing many ties with corporations. 

“It’s actual real people, their roots, and their art, and it’s not Target,” another People’s Pride attendee, Celia Cortopassi, said.

The Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities they claim are defying federal immigration law, including Minneapolis. 

These sanctuary cities “protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,” according to Homeland Security 

Around 495,000 immigrants resided in Minnesota in 2023, making up approximately 9% of the population, according to MN Compass. This population consists of those who are foreign-born, regardless of their citizenship status. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was spotted in south Minneapolis early this June at a taco restaurant. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said this instance was the first time he had seen the task force located in Minneapolis do any operation like that. 

“There is no one legal definition of what a sanctuary jurisdiction is,” said Julia Decker, a policy director for the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. 

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The ICLM has served the community for almost 30 years and faces a high demand for services.

The idea of sanctuary is separation, she said. Immigration enforcement is a federal function. 

State and local authorities, such as the Minneapolis police department, are not legally tasked with immigration enforcement, and therefore, they sometimes make the legal choice not to check immigration statuses.

Decker said state and local police sometimes feel that asking about immigration status or participating in immigration enforcement erodes trust within the community. Sanctuary cities often have local police departments that take this hands-off approach when engaging with immigrant communities.

“We hit a record high with 59,000 people in ICE detention right now. It’s 140% of the actual beds that are available. Nearly 50% of them don’t have a criminal record,” said Decker.

When examining these statistics, there are many factors that come into play, such as why these people are detained, how they are treated while in congested housing and how immigration lawyers can do the work they need to for a record high number of people, Decker said.

Decker said the uncertainty of the future is something the lawyers on her team are focusing on. The administration has shown they are willing to break the law, and the ILCM team has really considered that when prepping for the future.

“We are lawyers, and we also think it’s complicated, and we are trying to figure out what it all means,” Decker said.

The Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities they claim are defying federal immigration law, including Minneapolis. 

These sanctuary cities “protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,” according to Homeland Security 

Around 495,000 immigrants resided in Minnesota in 2023, making up approximately 9% of the population, according to MN Compass. This population consists of those who are foreign-born, regardless of their citizenship status. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was spotted in south Minneapolis early this June at a taco restaurant. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said this instance was the first time he had seen the task force located in Minneapolis do any operation like that. 

“There is no one legal definition of what a sanctuary jurisdiction is,” said Julia Decker, a policy director for the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. 

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The ICLM has served the community for almost 30 years and faces a high demand for services.

The idea of sanctuary is separation, she said. Immigration enforcement is a federal function. 

State and local authorities, such as the Minneapolis police department, are not legally tasked with immigration enforcement, and therefore, they sometimes make the legal choice not to check immigration statuses.

Decker said state and local police sometimes feel that asking about immigration status or participating in immigration enforcement erodes trust within the community. Sanctuary cities often have local police departments that take this hands-off approach when engaging with immigrant communities.

“We hit a record high with 59,000 people in ICE detention right now. It’s 140% of the actual beds that are available. Nearly 50% of them don’t have a criminal record,” said Decker.

When examining these statistics, there are many factors that come into play, such as why these people are detained, how they are treated while in congested housing and how immigration lawyers can do the work they need to for a record high number of people, Decker said.

Decker said the uncertainty of the future is something the lawyers on her team are focusing on. The administration has shown they are willing to break the law, and the ILCM team has really considered that when prepping for the future.

“We are lawyers, and we also think it’s complicated, and we are trying to figure out what it all means,” Decker said.

The Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities they claim are defying federal immigration law, including Minneapolis. 

These sanctuary cities “protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,” according to Homeland Security 

Around 495,000 immigrants resided in Minnesota in 2023, making up approximately 9% of the population, according to MN Compass. This population consists of those who are foreign-born, regardless of their citizenship status. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was spotted in south Minneapolis early this June at a taco restaurant. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said this instance was the first time he had seen the task force located in Minneapolis do any operation like that. 

“There is no one legal definition of what a sanctuary jurisdiction is,” said Julia Decker, a policy director for the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. 

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The ICLM has served the community for almost 30 years and faces a high demand for services.

The idea of sanctuary is separation, she said. Immigration enforcement is a federal function. 

State and local authorities, such as the Minneapolis police department, are not legally tasked with immigration enforcement, and therefore, they sometimes make the legal choice not to check immigration statuses.

Decker said state and local police sometimes feel that asking about immigration status or participating in immigration enforcement erodes trust within the community. Sanctuary cities often have local police departments that take this hands-off approach when engaging with immigrant communities.

“We hit a record high with 59,000 people in ICE detention right now. It’s 140% of the actual beds that are available. Nearly 50% of them don’t have a criminal record,” said Decker.

When examining these statistics, there are many factors that come into play, such as why these people are detained, how they are treated while in congested housing and how immigration lawyers can do the work they need to for a record high number of people, Decker said.

Decker said the uncertainty of the future is something the lawyers on her team are focusing on. The administration has shown they are willing to break the law, and the ILCM team has really considered that when prepping for the future.

“We are lawyers, and we also think it’s complicated, and we are trying to figure out what it all means,” Decker said.

The Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities they claim are defying federal immigration law, including Minneapolis. 

These sanctuary cities “protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,” according to Homeland Security 

Around 495,000 immigrants resided in Minnesota in 2023, making up approximately 9% of the population, according to MN Compass. This population consists of those who are foreign-born, regardless of their citizenship status. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was spotted in south Minneapolis early this June at a taco restaurant. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said this instance was the first time he had seen the task force located in Minneapolis do any operation like that. 

“There is no one legal definition of what a sanctuary jurisdiction is,” said Julia Decker, a policy director for the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. 

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The ICLM has served the community for almost 30 years and faces a high demand for services.

The idea of sanctuary is separation, she said. Immigration enforcement is a federal function. 

State and local authorities, such as the Minneapolis police department, are not legally tasked with immigration enforcement, and therefore, they sometimes make the legal choice not to check immigration statuses.

Decker said state and local police sometimes feel that asking about immigration status or participating in immigration enforcement erodes trust within the community. Sanctuary cities often have local police departments that take this hands-off approach when engaging with immigrant communities.

“We hit a record high with 59,000 people in ICE detention right now. It’s 140% of the actual beds that are available. Nearly 50% of them don’t have a criminal record,” said Decker.

When examining these statistics, there are many factors that come into play, such as why these people are detained, how they are treated while in congested housing and how immigration lawyers can do the work they need to for a record high number of people, Decker said.

Decker said the uncertainty of the future is something the lawyers on her team are focusing on. The administration has shown they are willing to break the law, and the ILCM team has really considered that when prepping for the future.

“We are lawyers, and we also think it’s complicated, and we are trying to figure out what it all means,” Decker said.

The Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities they claim are defying federal immigration law, including Minneapolis. 

These sanctuary cities “protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger,” according to Homeland Security 

Around 495,000 immigrants resided in Minnesota in 2023, making up approximately 9% of the population, according to MN Compass. This population consists of those who are foreign-born, regardless of their citizenship status. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was spotted in south Minneapolis early this June at a taco restaurant. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said this instance was the first time he had seen the task force located in Minneapolis do any operation like that. 

“There is no one legal definition of what a sanctuary jurisdiction is,” said Julia Decker, a policy director for the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. 

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The ICLM has served the community for almost 30 years and faces a high demand for services.

The idea of sanctuary is separation, she said. Immigration enforcement is a federal function. 

State and local authorities, such as the Minneapolis police department, are not legally tasked with immigration enforcement, and therefore, they sometimes make the legal choice not to check immigration statuses.

Decker said state and local police sometimes feel that asking about immigration status or participating in immigration enforcement erodes trust within the community. Sanctuary cities often have local police departments that take this hands-off approach when engaging with immigrant communities.

“We hit a record high with 59,000 people in ICE detention right now. It’s 140% of the actual beds that are available. Nearly 50% of them don’t have a criminal record,” said Decker.

When examining these statistics, there are many factors that come into play, such as why these people are detained, how they are treated while in congested housing and how immigration lawyers can do the work they need to for a record high number of people, Decker said.

Decker said the uncertainty of the future is something the lawyers on her team are focusing on. The administration has shown they are willing to break the law, and the ILCM team has really considered that when prepping for the future.

“We are lawyers, and we also think it’s complicated, and we are trying to figure out what it all means,” Decker said.