North Dakota’s LGBTQIA2S+ community fights against anti-gay legislation and rhetoric through their annual summit

BISMARCK, N.D. ( KXNET ) — Some people say living in North Dakota can be a fight — a fight to live, love, and be accepted by the state they call home.

And for the small but blossoming gay community in North Dakota, the 7th Annual North Dakota LGBTQIA2S+ Summit is a way for queer people to find their home within a home.

The summit is an opportunity for people to foster friendships with like-minded people in a state they often say is isolating.

It’s also a way to educate people on queer issues like suicidal ideation among LGBTQIA2S+ youth, access to quality health care for queer people, and more.

But for summit leaders, this event is a way to continue the fight for freedom, especially in the wake of anti-gay legislation and rhetoric circulating in North Dakota.

“So often, we are being targeted by so many anti-LGBTQ legislation that it feels like we’re always playing this defensive role,” says Dalton Erickson, the executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. “And being prepared and readying ourselves for whatever they can possibly attack our community with this year.”

Summit leaders say they’ve come a long way, especially since last year’s summit was met with protests.

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