May 29-31, 2026 | Minneapolis, MN
Our BMC roots are powerfully deep and we’re celebrating our 50th Anniversary in queer and radical style! Join us in Minneapolis for a festive weekend of storytelling, singing, ritual/worship, workshops, artmaking, games, connecting over shared meals, and honoring this incredible 50-year legacy of LGBTQIA+ Anabaptist resistance and resilience. BMC is a multigenerational crew and people of all ages, including teens and younger kids, are welcome!
Throughout the weekend you’ll have a chance to tour and interact with BMC’s archival material, share and record your BMC stories and memories, contribute your BMC materials to the archive, and celebrate the living histories that shape our current and future activism.
Attendees agree to hold these Shared Commitments during the event.
Are you unable to join us, but want to support this event? Donate to our Solidarity Fund. Are you eager to ensure that BMC’s legacy continues? Join us as a BMC Dance Partner (click “monthly gift”).
Schedule
The BMC 50th Anniversary Gathering officially begins with a welcome reception and shared meal at 5:00 pm on Friday, May 29. Registrants are encouraged to arrive early on Friday afternoon to join the BMC choir rehearsal, tour the BMC archive and pop-up 50th exhibits, and enjoy games and other hands-on activities. Our gathering will conclude after brunch and a sending ritual at approximately 1:00 pm on Sunday, May 31. A more detailed schedule will be shared closer to the event.
We welcome YOU to a gathering rooted in sacred story and joyful revelry!
Registration
In order to encourage participation in alignment with our Shared Commitments, registration opens for LGBTQIA+ people on February 6, 2026 (including family units with a queer person attending). Registration for straight allies opens February 25, 2026. Register EARLY! Note that our gathering space has limited capacity. We hope to have space for all who are interested in attending, but we may need to cap attendance if we near capacity. Registration will close May 7th.
If you are age 17 or under, you must register with an adult sponsor.
Registration Costs:
Registration is available on a sliding scale from $0-$300+, with a suggested amount of $150. The actual cost per person is approximately $150, which covers rental costs, honoraria for event facilitators, three meals and snacks, and program supplies.
We hope all will be able to attend regardless of ability to pay. If you are able to contribute a larger registration amount, your tax-deductible gift supports our Solidarity Fund which reimburses travel costs and other expenses for those who need it at BMC's 50th event. Thanks for helping us practice economic reciprocity, one of our Shared Commitments!
Note that housing is not included in the event registration cost. See Lodging details below.
Lodging
The Courtyard Marriott Minneapolis is the host hotel for our event. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from our gathering space on the University of Minnesota Campus. Be sure to book your hotel room using our BMC link, for a discounted rate of $149/night. This rate is available for the nights of May 28 - May 31, and must be booked no later than May 7th in order to receive the discounted rate. You will receive the hotel booking link in an email immediately upon completing registration.
Note that lodging is not included in the event registration cost. Participants are also welcome to book their own lodging. We also have a limited number of homestays available; these can be requested on the registration form.
Location & Transportation
BMC’s 50th Anniversary Gathering will be held in Minneapolis on the University of Minnesota campus. Detailed venue information will be shared upon registration.
Parking is available for $5/day in a designated parking lot on campus near our venue. BMC registrants staying at the Courtyard Marriott may park in the designated parking lot overnight.
Parking is also available at the Courtyard Marriott for $32/day.
Public Transportation from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport (MSP) to the Courtyard Marriott Downtown (5 min walk from venue)
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Blue Line train from MSP to the Cedar/Riverside station. Purchase your ticket at the train kiosk at the airport. Cost is approximately $2.25 and takes ~17 min plus a 10-min walk to the hotel.
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Lyft and Uber rideshares are also available and take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
Accessibility & Safety
Our gathering will be held in a building with accessible entrances, elevators, and a nearby accessible parking lot. The building has gender-neutral restrooms. We will designate a low-stimulation space for those with sensory needs.
There’s a spot in the registration form to indicate other accessibility needs. Please be in touch with any questions or for accessibility details!
Minneapolis
We rise in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis, and we're close contact with local BMCers who tell us that Minneapolis is an activated, engaged and beautiful place of resistance right now. We know we must do all that we can to support one another and be as safe as possible as we gather there in May. We are organizing a safety team which includes leaders on the ground in Minneapolis, and we will continue to factor in the local context as we take safety measures before and during this event.
BMC has a long history in Minneapolis – our office of 30 years and now permanent archives are here. Minneapolis is a sanctuary city for trans people and maintains a vibrant activist community. At the same time, we know that travelling is not safe for everyone right now, most notably those targeted due to immigration status, skin color, and gender identity, as well as those across international borders. Know that your presence will be acutely missed. We hope you will join us in marking BMC’s 50th Anniversary by sharing your own story or memory via writing/video – details coming soon.
We look forward to a BMC 50th Anniversary Gathering rooted in our histories of queer resistance and resilience! Reach out to gathering@bmclgbt.org with any logistics questions or concerns.
Planning Committee
Jane Ramseyer Miller (she/her), BMC 50th Anniversary Event Coordinator, Minneapolis, MN
Annabeth Roeschley (they/she), BMC staff, Chicago, IL
Hannah Kraenbring (they/them), BMC staff, Lancaster, PA
Jonny Rashid (he/him), West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, Philadelphia, PA
Michelle Burkholder (they/them), Hyattsville Mennonite Church, Hyattsville, MD
Amy Short (she/her), Yellow Springs, Ohio
Josih Hostetler (he/him), Indianapolis, IN
Xaris A. Martínez (ella/she/her), Durham, NC