ROCHESTER — The idea came to Rev. Ana Wilson in a dream.
“It was about me doing construction on a church,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Well, OK, I work in a church, whatever, no big deal.'”
But that same summer day, Wilson — who’s a minister at a Disciples of Christ church in rural southeast Minnesota — heard of a property that was for sale near Austin. It was a church, which was no longer in use, and its parsonage.
“As I was driving to the property, I just envisioned taking this church and creating a safe space for people,” Wilson said. “I could imagine changing the church into separate living quarters with a communal kitchen.”
County building codes prohibit that specific building from being used for living quarters, so that property ultimately couldn’t work for Wilson’s vision. But “just because the location didn’t work doesn’t mean the vision can’t go on,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, Wilson is on the cusp of establishing a nonprofit with the goal of providing lodging for people traveling to Rochester for gender-affirming care. The group, MedCity REFUGE, recently elected a board of directors and will soon file its 501(c)(3) paperwork. REFUGE is an acronym for “receive everyone fully, unapologetically with grace and extravagance.”
“The vision really is a safe space for those seeking gender-affirming and reproductive care from states that have banned or are banning or severely limiting to the point that it’s basically banned,” Wilson said. “I want to be able to show people that they are loved, they are valued, they are needed in this world for exactly who they are. And I do that because of my faith.”
Gender-affirming care is a
subset of health care
that focuses on the needs of transgender, non-binary and intersex patients — treatments under this umbrella include hormone replacement therapy, mental health support and surgeries such as breast removal and vaginoplasty.
Since January 2021,
several states
have banned or restricted medical professionals from providing gender-affirming care for minors. These states include Minnesota’s neighbors: Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. These restrictions have resulted in more transgender patients traveling to other states —
and sometimes relocating
— in order to access gender-affirming care. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature
passed laws affirming access to gender-affirming care
and protecting trans youth, their parents and their providers from out-of-state judicial actions.
Patients receiving gender-affirming care might need to have several appointments throughout the month, or they need to stay in Rochester for a few weeks after an operation.
“I have been coming to Mayo (from northern Minnesota) for my own health care since 2017,” said Ani Roy, vice president of the MedCity REFUGE board. “There were times where I’d be coming down on my own, and I can’t afford an $80 minimum for a hotel when I was coming down once a week for multiple weeks in a row.”
Roy has also experienced firsthand the need for LGBTQ+ affirming lodging. They said they once secured affordable lodging in Rochester with a faith-based group but found out it “was pretty openly transphobic and somewhat racist.”
“It’s like, ‘Let’s have a place that’s not like that,'” Roy said. “I think having an open and supportive place for people when they’re coming for care is super important.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Other clergy from Rochester-area churches have helped Wilson in MedCity REFUGE’s formation, as have transgender community members, health care partners and parents of transgender adults.
“So many people have come together to offer their gifts, their talents,” Wilson said. “It’s been really fascinating to see all those different people come together.”
At this point, Wilson said, the group is not yet able to provide aid. However, she said the group will start out by offering hotel vouchers and potentially placing people in “refuge homes,” a network of volunteers donating their guest bedrooms or other living spaces for patients to stay.
“Our ultimate goal is our own building with living quarters, communal kitchen, room for gatherings, crafts and events,” Wilson said. “We know our dream is big, but every step, no matter how small, brings us closer to this big dream.”
For Liv Pedersen, they said MedCity REFUGE is something they can do “to help someone feel less terrified.”
“I have friends from Missouri, from Texas, from Florida, and I have a lot of trans friends from all those places, too,” Pedersen said. “The thing that haunts me the most is the thought that there is someone out there just like me who is terrified and doesn’t feel like they have hope.”
Those interested in contributing to MedCity REFUGE can contact
.
