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8 | Out in the Mountains |September 2000_

= letters =

EIIM, II In 1l7l, Ilclilml, VT l5471-1l1l or Ellllf@lllIlIlIIIl|II'|IllllI||I.lI'l

out in the Mountains welcomes your letters. Although we will
withhold names from printing upon request, the letter must be
accompanied by a verifiable name and address in order to be

considered for publication.
space and clarity.

policy stated in the masthead.

Elect Edward Flanagan

It is not often that a person
with qualifications and imagi-
native talent emerges to run for
elective office. This year, Ed
Flanagan is such a person. I
endorse his candidacy for U.S.
Senate and will vote for him.

Flanagan will work for all
America as he visits with thou-
sands of Vermonters at local
meeting and parades, fairs and
festivals, and various cam-
paign events. These grassroots
efforts will lead to victory at
the polls in the Democratic pri-
mary election on Spetember
12, and again in November.

The priorities he has articu-
lated are universal health care
as a matter of right, a prescrip-
tion drug benefit under
Medicare, and fair and equi-
table tax policies as well as the
preservation of the Social
Security and Medical trust
funds.

As Vermont’s State Auditor,
Ed Flanagan stood up to the
establishment when necessary.
He fought for more effective
ways that work for taxpayers
and for those who must rely on
government services to sur-
vive. He does not depend on
special interest PAC money to
finance his campaign. That is a
vision he wants to bring to the
U. S. Senate — a government
that works for the common

. good, not only for a priviliged
..few'. -.  - ... -.. 

He’s counting on individu-
als who share his commitment
to issues of fundamental fair-
ness and who understand the
need to send someone to the
U.S. Senate who’s not afraid to
take on the extablishment and
provide a voice for responsible
policy, priorities. Let’s elect Ed
Flanagan!

Marie Baldwin
Middlebury, VT

Where's the Support for
Outright? .

This is a very difficult letter
for me to write. As a 21 year
old who uses the much needed
services of Outright Vermont, I
am disgusted and horrified by
the various attacks on the orga-
nization. However, it is not just
the misinformed hate wielding
groups that I have to take issue
with.

Unfortunately I am also
forced to take issue with the
Vermont Freedom to Marry

Task Force, and this upsets me

because it seems like a very
easily remedied situation. I

definitely support the work

that VFTMTF has done in_ the

past year, but I am deeply dis-
turbed by their lack of regard

‘for the repercussions. As a

young person still searching
for their place in the LGBT
community, this situation has
been tearing me apart for
months.

I have seen the enormous
media resources that VFTMTF
has been able to pull together
to support their cause. I have
also seen the very few letters to
the editors of various newspa-
pers written in support of
Outright.

The young people of this
community have written‘ letters
to editors in support of
VFTMTF. We have stuffed
envelopes, talked to people,
registered people to vote and
given them rides to the poles.
All of this has been done for
the sake of civil unions. We
have given time and energy
that we did not necessarily
have for the sake of our com-
munity.

And now that our biggest
support network in the state is
being attacked, we have been
forgotten. Maybe it is just me,
but this hardly seems okay.

Remember that we are here
and that as a whole we will get
nowhere if we do not support
each other. I am not asking you
to give up your causes, but
maybe it is time to examine the
effect.

Name witheld at author’s
request

New Face at CARES

I am writing on behalf of
Vermont CARES (Committee
for AIDS . Resources,
Education and Services) to
introduce myself as the new
Men’s Health Project coordi-
nator for the greater Burlington
area. '

My interest in coordinating
a men’s health project stems
largely from my recent experi-
ences in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands. During my time
there, I studied at the
University of Amsterdam and
participated in a seminar on
issues related to sexuality, gen-
der and identity. In addition to
my academic work, I spent a
lot of time in the field getting
to know my surroundings.

These included the
(in)famous Red Light District,
the gay bars and baths of
Reguliersdwarstraat and
Warmoestraat, as well as the

once radical Dutch Society for A

We reserve the right to edit for
Letters are also subject to the editorial

Sexual Reform, the
Netherlands Institute for Social
Sexological Research, and the
Cultural and Recreational
Center, a leading gay rights
institution in Holland. In get-
ting to know these organiza-
tions, I learned much of the
history behind the Dutch gay
and lesbian movement. I stud-
ied their successes and failures
on the political front and their
attempts to build a “communi-
ty” in what was once a very
conservative and religious
society. I participated in dis-
cussions on creating gay space
and learned how the Dutch
police became supportive of
public sex areas. Although not
all discussions were as posi-
tive, I gained a sense of
empowerment from studying
the Dutch. experience and rec-
ognized the possibilities for
bettering the lives of GLBT
Vermonters.

In returning to the United
States, it was my hope to use
some of my Dutch experiences
to assist in creating new social
and educational opportunities
for men who have sex with
men in the Burlington area. As
I have settled into my new
position at CARES, I have
talked with various organiza-
tions and individuals within
the community to see how I
can support their efforts, but I
would like to hear from more
voices. To those of you reading

this: What do you need or.want . .

from the local GLBT commu-
nity that is now absent? What
can I do to fill these needs? I
would welcome the opportuni-
ty to talk with all of you!
Please feel free to contact me

via e-mail
(dechen@vtcares.org) or
phone at 800-649-2437 or 863-.
2437. ' ‘
Dechen Albero
V

 /aw./ova ~27aa
In d-chi