For more than two decades, Arnold Dahl-Wooley has focused his energies on creating safe, supportive spaces in Minnesota’s North Woods for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities. His tireless work as a speaker, presenter and advocate led the 1998 Bemidji State University graduate to open Two Spirit Advocacy in October 2024, creating a much-needed permanent home for his work.

In addition to providing support, advocacy, events and activities for the entire Bemidji community, the center curates an online list of resources and organizations throughout Minnesota — and in some neighboring states — that are supportive of and safe for members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. He said the resources are directly vetted by Two Spirit Advocacy through personal connections with any organization or activity that is included.

“Our interactive database is the only one of its kind,” Dahl-Wooley said. “We are the only outreach agency that facilitates anything like this; we’re unique. We’re growing quickly, and we’re growing with the knowledge of who we are and how we can help.”

He said that in addition to connecting people with support and resources, the database also provides tangible proof of the breadth of Minnesota’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

“It shows people that there are safe spaces they might not have known even exist, and it shows the vastness of the population,” he said.

LEARN MORE: “2SLGBTQIA+ ” is an acronym referencing Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Plus all others who identify as a member of a sexual or gender-diverse community. Different individuals and communities may have their own definitions of these terms.

Honored by Twin Cities Pride

In celebration of his leadership, both for bringing Two Spirit Advocacy to Bemidji and recognizing his decades of work as a nationally renowned speaker, presenter and advocate for Two-Spirit people and issues, Twin Cities Pride honored Dahl-Wooley as its 2025 BIPOC Leader of the Year.

This is the third year that Twin Cities Pride has given the award, which is open to anyone from Minnesota. The organization said that the work Dahl-Wooley has done to be a “leading voice in the movement for Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ visibility” was key to his selection.

Dahl-Wooley received the award June 5 at Twin Cities Pride’s Grand Marshal Reception, held at the Machine Shed in Minneapolis.

“It’s surreal, because in my mind I’m still that little rez kid,” he said. “But I have something to say, and that’s why I was called there. This is important and special and I’m so honored to be a part of it.”

Providing the support he never had

In part, Dahl-Wooley founded Two Spirit Advocacy to provide access to resources and support that he, as a gay Indigenous man, was unable to find for himself while growing up on the Leech Lake Reservation.

“I pretended to be somebody else for years, and it’s exhausting. It’s absolutely exhausting,” he said. “When I was a youth, I always wished there was a place I could go just to get information. So I was intentional about creating a safe space that is culturally inclusive.”

He said the center also works to restore the cultural aspects of Two-Spirit identity, an identity which reflects people who held important gender-nonconforming or third-gender ceremonial roles in traditional Indigenous communities.

“We do have ceremony here,” he said. “We’ve learned some bad habits over the period of colonization, so we make sure that we have ceremonies like coming-of-age for our Two-Spirit populations. Sometimes we get overlooked or bypassed; it’s like we don’t remember what we’re supposed to do for them anymore. So we’re being very intentional — it’s being brought back.”

Finding himself at Bemidji State

Dahl-Wooley earned his associate’s degree in 1998 and credits his time at BSU to helping him understand and embrace his identity. He started his college journey at one of Minnesota’s two-year colleges, but he decided to transfer to BSU in search of a more supportive community.

“I loved the experience at BSU,” Dahl-Wooley said. “It was more welcoming, and I fit in with the community. There was a larger Native American population, there were resources for me, functions for me to attend. Those types of groups and environments were very helpful.

“That’s where I met a lot of new friends, and there were opportunities for me to learn different things. I felt more worldly over at Bemidji State University.”

He said the feelings of safety and support he felt at BSU empowered his decision to come out.

“It was at Bemidji State where I started to meet friends and understand what being gay and Native meant on a more powerful level,” he said. “I felt safer at Bemidji State just because of the diversity that was there. I didn’t feel alone.”

From that community, Dahl-Wooley has built a foundation to advocate for and support others through decades of work and education. The accolades he has received reinforce the need for the services that Two Spirit Advocacy provides, services which he says he is honored to provide to the community.

“I’m appreciative that people have paid attention to my cause,” he said. “It’s about suicide prevention, anti-bullying, outreach, advocacy and cultural inclusion. We’re working very hard.”

Photography Credits: Madelyn Haasken, Bemidji Pioneer; Ne-Dah-Ness Greene, Greene Photography