Letters continued from page eight

no consistent, objective way of
defining “male” and “female”
that will allow us to place
everyone unequivocally within
one or the other of these cate-
gories, and any statute that
requires anyone to be definable
as either ‘.‘male” or “female” to
participate in an otherwise
common benefit does not pass
Constitutional muster.

Sumner Grey
Brattleboro, VT

Outright deserves sup-
port, not ottocks

I saw in the weeks past in
the people putting Outright
Vermont down and talking
trash and spreading lies about
them. Me, I think we need” not
spread trash; Outright Vermont
is a good thing. When I’ve
needed to talk to someone, they
were there for me. When I’ve
felt down, they were there for
me. When I needed info on
stuff, they were there for me.
And to me, I know that they’re
going to schools, not to pro-
mote their lifestyle, but to help
kids understand about being
gay. Did you know there has
been a study done and that 1 in
every 10 people are gay lesbian
or bisexual? If we do not let
them know they’re ok, people,
if they find out theygare gay
later on in life, might hurt
themselves. I mean, the reason
behind most gay youth suicides
or drug or alcohol use is that
society tells them they’re not
ok.

I think Outright is a good
thing and that it should be
going around to schools. There
is no porn in there stuff; I’ve
seen their info. I do not know
were people are getting their
[negative] info, but they better
get it somewhere else. Wake up
and get a life and stay out of
ours! We are not all up in you
lives, so you do not need to be
in ours. Liveiand let live. As a
gay male, I feel you need to

 

..._..............____.................._.._.._.
NORTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Mara Vijups
Dr. Erin Rhoades

NMC RURAL HEALTI-I SERVICES
’Specializing in Family Practice
Caring for patients of all ages

S W A N T O N
868-2454

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797-4414

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933-5831

stop talking trash and spread-
ing lies and hatred.

Thanks again,
Vermont, you’re the best——
keep up the good work and
never give up!!!

Bradley James Jr
Piermont, NH

On darkness

I have rarely been quite so
offended or felt victim—blamed
quite so strongly as I did read-
ing Rev. Christine Leslie’s
November column.

Imagine my surprise to dis-
cover that, no, I don’t have sea-
sonal affective disorder—it
“seems” I suffer from “some-
thing” that is currently “called”
that. “Apparently current med-
ical thought indicates that the
amount and proper absorption
of sunlight can affect mood and
function in some people. But
Rev. Leslie informs me that
this is not the case; rather, I
suffer from a variety of other
ills that cause me to have phys-
ical and emotional‘ difficulty
during the winter months.

I had no idea that I was so
confused, ignorant, self-mis-
led, un-valued, avoidant, and
weak-willed.

Disease as moral failing or
character weakness is an old
theory that just won’t go away,
no matter how often it is dis-
proved. Cancer and tuberculo-

Outright.

sis were such cases; HIV/AIDS
is still far too often targeted
this way. Anyone struggling
with mental health issues faces
it daily. I heard my share of
“just snap out of it” (in other
words, you’re just making it up
or blowing it out of proportion
or too weak to fix yourself)
during a deep depression in my
adolescence. Let me tell you,
there’s almost nothing worse
one could say to a person suf-
fering from a bewildering and
debilitating episode of clinical
depression.

To hear from a pastoral
counselor that I don’t “really”
understand or that it doesn’t
matter the way I’ve “made it
matter” or that I’m taking the
“easy” way out by “obsessing”
over something she deems triv-
ial is more than a slap in the
face to my very real experience
of seasonal affective disorder.
It’s offensive, and it’s unpro-
fessional. I suggest that Rev.
Leslie take some of the time
offered by the shorter days to
think before she writes.

Carolyn Ashby
Burlington
V

December 2000 | Out in the Mountains I13

primarycare

HEALTH PARTNERS

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Qeorgia 912:1/I/J Cenler
4178 Highbiidge Road - Fairfax, VT 05454

PHONE: 802/524-9595
FAX: 802/524-2867

Whatever you take along for pleasure, consider this:
We may feel safe in Vermont, but we’re not immune

to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Don’t take a chance...

take a condom

4.
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How {-0 . I I
Ovgomlc A

30

‘ Make the healthy decision to eat foods grown with

 

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organic foods. The Onion River Co-op has
specialized in local organic foods for over
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2 Visit a market you can trust to offer truly

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other tempting items. You'll see why today's
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the winter months. Check us out weekly for the best
variety and selections.

 
 
  
    

274 N. Mnooski Avenue
Burlington, Vermont
I02-I63-3659
Open 9-9 every day.
forlrexh ideas, visit
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. .-c-

Vermont AIDS Hotline 1 .800.882.AIDS
TTY 1.800.319.3141