Coming Soon: Community Needs Surveys Summary Report

The Summary Report released in August 2026 presents findings from the adult and parent/caregiver surveys, which were conducted between March and December 2025 and received 7,304 responses combined. This report represents the first phase of findings from the Community Needs Surveys and provides an initial look at survey results.  Additional survey analyses, findings from other assessment components, and future reports will continue to deepen and expand upon the findings presented here. 

The Community Needs Assessment was developed and promoted in partnership with LGBTQIA2S+ community organizations and leaders across Minnesota. The Council also partnered with Wilder Research to facilitate the community focus groups, analyze survey findings, and prepare the Summary Report. A full list of community partners and acknowledgements is included in the Summary Report.

About the Community Needs Assessment

In 2023, the Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans (MNQT) was established to work toward economic, social, legal, and political equality for Minnesota’s community of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or Two-Spirit. Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Minnesota Legislature directed the Council to conduct, or contract for, studies that identify challenges facing LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans and inform solutions across areas including education, employment, human rights, health, housing, social welfare, and related policy issues.

The Minnesota LGBTQIA2S+ Community Needs Assessment is the Council’s first major effort to fulfill that charge and better understand the experiences and needs of LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans across the state by collecting data that informs policy, administrative, and funding recommendations for the Governor, state legislature, and state agencies. The Community Needs Assessment includes three components: 

Community Needs Surveys: A survey of adult LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans age 18 and older and a survey of parents/caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ youth age 17 and younger. Data collection was completed in 2025.

Community Conversations: A series of 12 focus-group style conversations with individuals from subsets of the LGBTQIA2S+ community who face unique barriers, disparities, and/or are historically underrepresented. Data collection was completed in 2025.

Organization and Provider Survey: An online survey for organizations and providers that serve or work with the LGBTQIA2S+ population in Minnesota. Data collection is ongoing at the time of the release of this report in August 2026 and will be completed by end of 2026.