About Us

Scene has connected the Twin Cities LGBTQIA+ community for 20 years.

What began as a trusted print resource in 2006 has evolved into a digital platform, making us one of the first queer publication in the region to embrace an online-first approach.

Today, Scene is a digital resource and community platform serving the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, and readers around the world. Through our website and active social media presence, we connect people with local businesses, organizations, events, entertainment, and community resources while celebrating the diversity of Minnesota's Queer Community.

Our digital-first approach means we're not limited by geography. Whether someone lives in Minneapolis, is planning a move to Minnesota, is visiting the Twin Cities, or simply wants to stay connected from anywhere in the world, Scene is a trusted source for discovering queer life in Minnesota.

In addition to our online stories, we engage thousands of community members through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels, helping our partners reach audiences where they're already spending their time.

Our mission is simple: connect, inform, and celebrate Minnesota's Queer community while helping local businesses, organizations, and events reach the people they serve.

We can't wait for you to be SCENE!

David & Cory

PRESS RELEASE

🎉 20 YEARS OF SCENE! 🌈✨
Twin Cities Gay Scene is turning 20 this year — two decades of connecting Minnesota's LGBTQIA+ community with local businesses, events, and each other! 🏳️‍🌈
And we're just getting started: new contributors, expanded coverage, AND the launch of the Rainbow Connection queer directory. 👀
Here's to 20 years and many more!
Click that link for the full press release! ⬇️

CLICK HERE!

Meet The Owners!
David & Cory
Birchard-Weissman

"We started Scene because the Twin Cities needed a guide focused entirely on queer events. Twenty years and a lot of reinvention later — from print, to a digital flip book, to the mobile-friendly site we have today — that same idea is still at the heart of what we do.”
“Our goal today is for Scene to be the Twin Cities’ number one source of queer media and pop culture, It matters more than ever that the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota have a trusted place to find their community.”

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2006

Let's Open The Box. The Good. The Bad. The VERY Ugly.

The idea for SCENE! started over 20 years ago. David was a DJ and graphic designer working at Minnesota Parent and freelancing on the side, designing bar ads for local venues. Traveling the country, he kept noticing something the Twin Cities didn't have: those scrappy little gay bar rags stacked up at clubs everywhere he went. Why didn't we have one of our own?

Let's get into it.

Then, one November day in 1998, he dropped off an ad for the Eagle at Q Monthly's office and something felt off. A few days later, the news came: Q Monthly had shut down, just like that.

He met Cory, and the two started brainstorming. Ideas got sketched out, meetings got had, and a "coming soon" website went up in 2006 - MySceneCity.com

Thinking they were going to be in every major city in the USA!

The good: We published our first edition a few months later the following year.

The bad: Advertisers weren't ready to bet on a new publication so soon after Q Monthly's collapse — we had a very hard time selling ads.

The very ugly: We had no idea our little mag would stir up so much drama. Over the years that followed, we received multiple cease-and-desist letters from Lavender Media. They even shut us out of helping promote nonprofit events. They wanted to be the only star of the show. Disguised as exclusive sponsorship.

It was a shock! Don't we all do better when we all do better? It was a bitter long terrible history with Lavender Media. Some know, Most don't. Which made it very frustrating. We quickly learned that Lavender Media was going to be the only one to do better.

But our light was never going to be extinguished. Twenty years later, WE ARE STILL HERE — and we're not going anywhere.

2007

The First Printed Edition of SCENE!

Kevin Aviance graced our very first cover of SCENE! We started as a scrappy 5.5 x 8.5 printed magazine — big dreams, barely an advertiser in sight. With Steven Levy's help, we sold ads, and it's what got us into print: UV Vodka, Pfund, Circuit Mom, All God's Children, and the back cover from Little Tijuana.

You might remember us as My Scene City, or just My Scene at different points — but we always stayed true to SCENE as our main title. Along the way, we featured big celebrities and local icons alike: Camile Collins, Shannon Blowtorch, and DJ Naughty Boy.

'08 - '09

What!? Debrorah Cox!

That's right Deborah Cox grace our very first Pride Scene! We were just getting started with unique cover designs and stories. We even made a sandwich our of our logo. We also had our first HALLOSCENE Edtions and BeBe Zahara Benet before she won Rupaul's Drag Race.