8039200 (1199 IO}O|.|d UT Volume XV, Number ll’: _,~. I x..- J ‘J , Creating change rficuses on coalition Building, ls Coretta Scott King addressed the opening plen Change conference in Atlanta, GA in early November. ry of the 2000 Crating BY BARBARA Dozraros I The widow of one of the country’s leading civil rights figures called for a focus on coalition building as she wel- comed the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 13th Annual Creating Change Conference in Atlanta during ' its opening event. The conference opened with a session entitled “What Comes Next?” Coretta Scott King answered that question in her remarks welcoming the conference-goers to Atlanta. “What comes next must be an emphasis on coalition,” she said. “The whole of us united,” _ Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. told the overflow crowd, “makes us stronger than the sum of our parts.” In other smezog qJe Bari Shamas was one of several Vermonters who attended Creating Change. She presented a workshop about the process that led to the civil union law. words, she said, “One plus one equals three.” There are things that all minority communities can accomplish united, she said, that cannot be achieved if each group works separately. Mrs.’ King said the coalition that could be formed now amongst minorities could be as powerful as the New Deal coalition and effect as much change. “All forms of bigotry and discrimination are wrong,” said Mrs. King, “and should be opposed by all right-thinking Americans.” Addressing the specific concerns of her audi- ence, she continued, “F-reedom from discrimination is a basic human right. We must make room at the table for every- one.” ' Mrs. King’s remarks were met with a several standing ovations. I More than 2500 people were expected to attend the confer- ence consisting of more than ‘I90 plenary sessions, work- shops, caucuses and special events over four days. “We will celebrate the advances we have made in recent years, reflect on our defeats and plan for a day when no one in our society faces discrimination because of sexual orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, .age, religious belief or any other factor,” said NGLTF Executive Director Elizabeth Toledo. “Creating - Change is about creating a just society.”V rt’ H GOP House Control Changes Decemberr 2000 wwwmountainpridemedicrorg Legislative Landscape BY BARBARA Dozeros Although" every pro-civil union statewide candidate in Vermont, including Gov. Howard Dean, was successful in the Nov. 7 elections, many say the state’s legislature has not seen the last of the issue. With a new Republican majority in the House of Representatives and Democrats hanging on to a slim majority in the Senate, few observers believe the new biennium will pass without some attempt to adjust or repeal the _controversial law. Walter Freed, R-Dorset, minority leader in the House - last session, is the most likely candidate for Speaker of the House. He voted against the civil union bill, but directed his caucus to vote their con- sciences," rather than bring the party’s pressure to bear on members who didn’t agree with him. “I’d be na'1've,” said Freed, “to think the issue won’t come up again.” He said too many people ran and won elections on the subject for it to go away completely. “It will be the busi- ness of the Judiciary Committee,” he said, “to han- dle it as they see fit.” That committee, chaired last‘ session by Tom Little, R- Shelburne, and its structure will be of great interest to civil union foes and supporters alike. Little’s leadership is credited with the authoring and passage of the bill. “Tom Little is a visionary with an incredi- ble ability for consensus build- ing,” said Mary Bonauto of Gay and Z Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. “He was a tire- less advocate for civil rights.” Freed wouldn’t say what his specific intentions were regarding the committee. “My personal agenda,” he said, “is to run the house in a fair, effec- tive, responsible manner.” If he‘ is elected to be Speaker, he said, ‘.‘I’ll do my utmost to be bipartisan. The membership and chairs of the committees will reflect the make-up of the . House.” Some of his predecessors, Freed said, have stacked com- mittees unfairly. “That is a dis- service to the process,” he said. Asked for his opinion about the Judiciary committee’s work on the civil union bill last session, Freed said, “I think if, by the luck of the draw, there had been representatives on the committee against the issue, the process would have been fairer.” . In addition to moving ahead with the civil union legislation, the House Judiciary committee has been responsible for hold- ing up action on a Defense of Marriage-like bill. A signifi- cant change in the committee’s membership could see a simi- lar bill passed out to the floor for action in the coming ses- sion. “I’m much less concerned about the committee’s views at the beginning of the session,” said Beth Robinson of the newly re-named Civil Union Defense Committee——formerly the Freedom to Marry Action Committee, “than their will- ingness to learn.” She said the civil union law passed last year due to the legislators’ ability to listen. “I’m hopeful that, if they’re inclined to revisit the issue,” said Robinson, “they will listen to the people--those who are affected by the law.” Robinson wants to give the new legislature a chance to set- tle in before she makes any solid predictions about where §.§$§$i.§'i§3RE rzaé College GLBT Program Funded Dartmouth College’s programming and support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students will be greatly enhanced thanks to a recent million-dol- lar gift. Roger B. A. Klorese, a 1977 graduate of Dartmouth, and his partner David L. Haney, made the gift at a public ceremo- ny and reception on November 4 at the college. “It’s been a greatjoy to see the ways in which Dartmouth has become more and more welcoming of difference,” said Klorese, a software strategist based in San Francisco. “In looking for places to share our blessings and help foster change, it seemed to David and met that a gift to Dartmouth could really help con- tinue that growth.” §§§§i“ei§§§§T§t 2» fie Roger B. A. Kiorese (left) and his partner David L. Haney donated $1 million to Dartmouth's GLBT student programs. etiejjog -pnourueg to /lsaunoo otoud A