"Full color" is about a Minnesota where LGBTQIA2S+ people don't have to shrink or hide any part of themselves to be safe. It means living openly and fully, with safety, dignity, and freedom, whether you're in Minneapolis or a small town up north. It also reflects the full range of who we are: every identity, every faith, every background, and the allies who stand with us. We're not just imagining that future. We're organizing to build it together, and this afternoon is a chance to celebrate how far we've come and look ahead to what's next.

This event is about celebration and community as much as fundraising. Why was it important to frame it that way rather than as a straightforward ask?

Because that's what organizing is really about. People don't get involved because someone asks them for money. They get involved because they feel connected, see themselves in the work, and believe we can make things better together. We wanted this afternoon to reflect that.

So much of what LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans hear right now is heavy, and it's easy to feel worn down. Joy and community sustain us for the long haul. Gathering to celebrate our leaders, our partners, and each other is part of the work, not a break from it.

Financial support is also essential to growing this work statewide, and we're deeply grateful for every gift, large or small. We’re honored by initial donations that have created an opportunity for other gifts to be matched, up to $15000 that day. But the goal is bigger than a single afternoon. We hope people walk out feeling energized, connected, and part of a community that's building something real. When people feel that sense of belonging, their support becomes an investment in a shared future, and that's the kind of support that grows year after year.

What will support raised at this event go toward as Prism Organizing builds out its statewide organizing work?

Every dollar goes toward building people power across Minnesota. That includes training new leaders, hosting regional convenings and community forums, and creating nonpartisan voter education resources so people have clear, accurate information about their local elections. It also helps us reach communities in Greater Minnesota, where travel, meeting space, and materials make a big difference in whether people can come together.

Support also helps us strengthen the foundation of Prism Organizing itself, so we have the capacity to show up consistently for the leaders and partners who are counting on us. Organizing is long-term work built on relationships, and sustained support is what lets those relationships grow into real, lasting change.

Put simply, a gift to Prism Organizing is an investment in people: the neighbors, students, parents, faith leaders, and allies who are stepping up to make their communities safer and more welcoming for LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans.

You describe wanting Minnesotans to live with "safety, dignity, and freedom." What does that look like concretely — for someone in the Twin Cities versus someone in Greater Minnesota?

At its core, it looks the same everywhere: being able to go to school, work, worship, see a doctor, or walk down the street as your full self without fear. It means your kids feel welcome in their classrooms, your family is respected in your neighborhood, and you have a voice in the decisions that affect your life.

In the Twin Cities, there are more LGBTQIA2S+ organizations, affirming congregations, and community spaces, even though not everyone feels safe or connected. In Greater Minnesota, the picture can look very different, and that's where we're focusing a lot of our attention.

Rural communities and small towns have so much strength, pride, and resilience. LGBTQIA2S+ people and allies are already organizing dozens of Pride events, starting support groups, and speaking up at local meetings. But many folks are the only out person in their workplace, school, or congregation. They may have to drive hours to find affirming health care, a welcoming space, or other LGBTQIA2S+ people. Young people especially can feel like they have to leave home before they can be themselves.

For someone in Greater Minnesota, safety, dignity, and freedom can look like a local group that meets regularly, a faith leader who proclaims welcome from the pulpit, a teacher who makes their classroom a safe space, or neighbors who show up at a community forum to say, "You belong here." It's about not having to choose between the place you call home and being who you are.

That's why Prism Organizing is committed to being truly statewide, investing in leaders and connections beyond the metro so no one has to go it alone.

For someone who wants to get more involved after October 11th — becoming a member leader, organizing locally — what's the best first step?

Reach out and start a conversation with us. Every leader in Prism Organizing started with a simple one-on-one, where we get to know you, what you care about, and what's happening in your community. There's no experience required and no single right way to be involved.

From there, we'll help you find the next step that fits you. That might be joining a training, attending a regional meeting or community forum, connecting with other leaders near you, or bringing a few friends, neighbors, or members of your congregation together to talk about what you'd like to see change. Allies are always welcome, and some of our strongest leaders are people who simply decided they wanted to show up for the LGBTQIA2S+ people in their lives.

Wherever you live in Minnesota, you don't have to do this alone. Visit prismorganizing.org or email office@prismorganizing.org to get connected, or come see us on October 11. We'd love to meet you.

For Prism Organizing, the work was never just about a single event or a single election cycle — it's about making sure that no LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotan, whether in the heart of the Twin Cities or hours north in Greater Minnesota, has to choose between the place they call home and who they are. The Future in Full Color Fundraiser on October 11th is one afternoon to celebrate how far that work has come, but as Prism makes clear, the real investment is in people — the leaders still discovering they had it in them all along. If that sounds like you, they've made it simple: start with a conversation, at prismorganizing.org or office@prismorganizing.org, and see where it leads.