“It is time, in 2022, to have our families reflected.” 

Nikki and Whitney Graf got married in 2017 and not long after welcomed a baby girl named Logan into their family through intrauterine insemination. 

Current Minnesota Statutes regarding artificial insemination reads: "The husband is treated in law as if he were the biological father of a child thereby conceived." Because of the two words "husband" and "father," Nikki did not have legal parental rights of her child. 

Nikki and Whitney began to fight to change this so their family could be recognized in the state of Minnesota. These efforts culminated in a bill that would become known as Logan’s Law. 

Logan’s Law was first introduced in 2019, but has yet to pass despite overwhelming support from the public. While we recognize that rights like same sex marriage do not solve all of our problems, these institutions provide many basic protections for queer and trans families. 

Without protections like Logan’s Law, Nikki and Whitney, and countless other couples, live in a state that does not recognize their family fully. This is something Nikki, OutFront, and advocates across Minnesota are trying to change in 2023 as we fight to pass a new iteration of Logan’s Law. 

It is not the only thing OutFront is looking to change in 2023. There are still many protections LGBTQ+ folks do not have in Minnesota. And the protections we do have are under attack. From school inclusion to the executive order banning conversion therapy funding, we must fight to protect the LGBTQ+ community. Those fights start now — on election day. 

It’s crucial for us all to get out and vote for pro-equality candidates so we stand a better chance at passing legislation like Logan’s Law that gives families like Nikki and Whitney’s the same rights and protections every other Minnesotan has. 

If you have not already, register to vote and pledge to queer the vote on November 8. Take a stand and make your voice heard.