FINAL PUBLIC STATEMENT
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Governance Intervention & Pause
To every member, sponsor, partner, and community ally,
This is my final statement to explain, in plain truth, why I did what I did, what really happened, and why I have decided to step back for now — so that you hear it from me, not from rumor or spin.
What Happened
In 2020, I founded the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance under Minnesota Statute Chapter 317A as its sole legal incorporator and original CEO. I built this organization to stand for integrity, truth, and equal representation in the housing industry for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
I am not perfect. I make mistakes. I have made mistakes with the Alliance. This was my first CEO tenure, and it was educational, to say the least. But, I have an allegiance to the truth and integrity, but above all else, the members I pledged to do right by.
Over the past four years, the Alliance grew — but began to fracture from within. Let it be known that starting in 2023, multiple Board members, officers, and key governance roles were lost and never lawfully replaced:
- The Parliamentarian, a permanent seat under our Bylaws charged with ensuring parliamentary procedure and enforcement of our governing rules, passed away. Under the Bylaws, only the CEO can appoint a replacement. With no valid CEO seated after my forced resignation and no lawful Board vote to install one, that seat has never been replaced.
- Every Immediate Past President has resigned for their own reasons — often due to deep disagreements or conflicts with how the Board was being run. Each time, those departures created new governance gaps that were left unfilled.
- Multiple general Board members resigned as well — most recently the very respected and tenured member Derek Lee, who stepped down immediately after Past President Anita Legacy Blue’s departure. These resignations dropped the Board permanently below the minimum quorum required by the Bylaws and Minnesota Statutes §§ 317A.205 and 317A.227.
With the Parliamentarian gone, no valid CEO to replace them, no legal counsel filling that reserved seat, no Immediate Past President, and multiple unfilled Board seats, there was no one left legally able to run elections, enforce policy, or install replacements. The governance structure collapsed entirely.
What They Did
The original red flag came when President Anita Legacy Blue and President Justin Ziegler conspired to cancel the national Board election for the 2023–2024 cycle with no valid explanation to the membership. That election was supposed to maintain the governance legitimacy and ensure seats were lawfully filled under full quorum. When that election was canceled behind closed doors, I knew something was deeply wrong — and that was when I began looking closer at the Alliance’s true standing.
From there, they installed themselves and others into officer roles without a valid vote. They continued signing contracts and spending money without quorum. They also rehired contractors as de facto officers — in direct violation of IRS 501(c)(6) rules forbidding paid 1099 vendors from acting as fiduciaries or Board officers (IRS Pub 4221-NP, Conflict of Interest).
I, and now a dozen others for safety, hold the direct email correspondence proving how the election was canceled and who made that decision. This is part of my documented evidence file, one of 45 exhibits.
I also want to make clear how deeply disappointed I am that the Alliance has refused to show real transparency about the annual conference. When I signed the Resorts World conference agreement in 2020, it was before we knew what the pandemic or the market would bring. I stand by my decision then and take full responsibility for that signature. But the hidden agendas and the lack of disclosure about the facts within that contract — and the real status of the conference today — have been unacceptable.
To my understanding, the national conference this year is not taking place, and not all members have been notified. That in itself should be recognized as deceptive to every paying member and sponsor who trusted this organization to tell the truth.
Why I Took These Actions
I want you to understand exactly why I stepped in when I did.
Throughout this past year, I continued to receive official notices from the IRS and Minnesota state agencies showing my name and addresses still attached as the legal incorporator and responsible party. No one took proper steps to update the filings, remove my signatory status, or limit my legal exposure to debts or obligations the Alliance might create.
As of today, anyone can independently search public records and see that either my previous address in West St. Paul or my current address in Apple Valley remains listed as the official legal mailing address for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. Because of this, I continue to receive official certified mail from the IRS and state — which I have repeatedly rejected or returned unopened, as I do not feel authorized to open legal correspondence for the organization now that I have stepped back from daily operations. But this constant paper trail makes it clear: my liability remains.
I specifically recall that in late 2023, Anita Legacy Blue held a Board meeting that I was unaware of, where the Board voted unanimously to cancel the 2023 National Conference, a major income stream. I forcefully intervened and was able to secure $200k in funding through various initiatives, and a loan taken by one of our sister organizations, and demanded the board vote to reinstate the conference, 8 days before it was set to begin. I have signed affidavits from our vendors attesting to this as well. I later learned they were openly considering bankruptcy measures without consulting me, without a proper attorney, and without any CPA or bankruptcy specialist, despite it being federally illegal for an organization to take on debt with the intent to file bankruptcy. Yet the Alliance continued to execute national events and spend money — while my name remained tied to every legal document.
Separately, in the lead-up to my resignation, I made it absolutely clear that I was adamant we cancel the planned Symposium tied directly to World Pride. National LGBTQ+ organizations and law enforcement advised us that there were credible threats of violence against LGBTQ+ gatherings at that time. My decision was to cancel that event to protect member safety. Only later did I find out that President Ziegler reinstated the Symposium and moved it even closer to World Pride — disregarding every safety advisory and my original decision. This was the final trigger for my intervention.
When I pieced all this together, I reviewed my legal standing:
- My system access had never been transferred or revoked.
- I never signed any severance or termination paperwork.
- And while I resigned my CEO seat under duress, no paperwork was ever processed to remove my Board seat, which, under the Bylaws, remains valid until lawfully vacated with a vote of quorum.
These hidden financial decisions — including how the conference obligations were buried rather than addressed openly — left me no choice but to act when I did.
I took these actions — and the legal steps that followed — not to seize power or regain a role, but to protect myself and the thousands of paying members whose trust this organization still holds.
The Legal Steps I Took
I filed:
- A detailed Notice and Petition with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Charities Division.
- An Emergency Petition for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in Dakota County Civil Court under Envelope #34650771, requesting neutral oversight and a lawful receiver.
- I organized and presented 47 exhibits — including signed contracts, Board minutes, IRS letters, Bylaws, direct emails, ethics complaints, resignation proof, and police documentation.
When the TRO failed on financial grounds — because the e-file system is built for lawyers, not everyday people like me — I passed all evidence to the Attorney General and AG’s lead investigatory unit to take up if they choose.
A Note on Defamation and Slander
Since stepping away, I have watched the Alliance — specifically its President and acting CEO — coordinate a campaign of defamation and slander against me. They continue to paint me as an unstable, disgruntled ex-employee, ignoring the reality that I am the legal incorporator who built this from zero, with the only legitimate 501(c)(6) executive experience the Alliance has ever had.
I fully expect them to respond to this statement with more spin, another mass email, or new accusations. That is their pattern. But the truth is already documented in state filings, IRS records, bylaws, resignations, direct evidence, and every timeline I have preserved.
Why I Am Pausing Now
I have no money left to fight this alone. I am unemployed, on unemployment insurance, and cannot afford private legal representation for the final mile. The Attorney General’s office has the record, as does the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, and multiple other federal and state authorities. The truth is there. If anyone chooses to finish what I started, the foundation is ready.
My Promise
I do not want the CEO seat back. I do not want a payout. I have never asked for money or favors. My only goal was — and is — to keep the promise I made in 2020: that this organization would be rooted in integrity, transparency, and honesty, no matter the cost to me personally.
I took my responsibility as founder seriously — even when it cost me everything. And even if my time in this chapter of the industry ends here, I will stand by that promise to my last day.
My Final Word
If you have questions, you deserve answers. If you want the truth, it is documented. If you want to judge me, do so with the full facts in hand — not half a rumor. I am stepping back now so I can protect myself, my family, and my peace.
I am going into the tall grass. What happens next is in the Attorney General’s hands, the court’s hands, and history’s hands. If the Alliance lives on, may it do so with the courage, honesty, and care that our community deserves.
My most heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who have reached out in support over the past 10 days. From Association Executives, to members, to Realtors and mortgage lenders, to corporate contacts and decision makers, consultants, and the media. I am indebted to your kindness.
With respect, and wishing you all perseverance and strength,
Ryan A. Weyandt Hainlin
Founder & Incorporator — LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance
Executive Consultant — RAW Insight LLC
ryan@raw-insight.com