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Samara Supporters Take Back the Statehouse

BY BARBARA DQZETOS

ABOVE THE FOLD NEWS SERVICE

More than 75 people gath-
ered at the Vermont Statehouse
on August 3 to celebrate the
$92,000 in grants and college
scholarships the Samara
Foundation of Vermont has

‘ awarded since 1998 to organi-

zations and individuals who
support the state’s GLBT com-
munity.

“I loved having Samara
supporters take back the
Statehouse after a year of end-
less diatribe full of lies and
misinformation about the
GLBT community — being put
forward in the statehouse,”
said Samara Executive
Director Bill Lippert. “It was
very satisfying to have the
Cedar Creek Room filled with
folks who were celebrating "our
community and our rightful
place in the midst of the
Vermont community.”

Just a few hours before the
celebration began, Rep. Nancy
Sheltra, R-Derby, led a press
conference unveiling her pro-
posal that would give notice
and approval authority to par-
ents of any school instruction
pertaining to homosexuality,
bisexuality, or “other alterna-
tives to monogamous hetero-
sexual sex within marriage.”

Lippert said he was particu-
larly pleased with the coinci-
dental timing of the two

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events. “There was a stark
contrast between Nancy
Sheltra’s press conference full
of mistr”uths and distortions

arbara Dozetos

and our event, an affirmation
of our~community and the
work of the organizations and
the brave and ‘courageous
young people fighting homo-
phobia in high schools,” he
said.

The outpouring of support
for Samara, Lippert said, is
proof that the foundation is
meeting its mission to support
and strengthen Vermont’s gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgen-
dered communities while it
builds an endowment.

“The community has recog-
nized the foundation is an
opportunity to make an imme-
diate difference as well as a
lasting difference for the
future,” Lippert said. Many
individuals, he said, have
expressed particular pleasure
with Samara’s investment in
the future with its scholarships
to college-bound high school
seniors.

During the reception,
Samara Board President Linda
Markin thanked those ‘gathered
and the many who were unable
to be -there in person for their
volunteer work and financial
support of the foundation. “It’s
up to us now to continue to
build the organizations that
make Vermont a state we want
to live in,” she said.

Samara, Lippert said, has
proven to be agvehicle not just
for LGBT people. “We
increasingly see friends and
family and allies supporting
our work financially.” The
people gathered for the cele-
bration - a cross section of
Vermonters, he said, bore wit-
ness to the wide appeal of
Samara’s work.

“I looked around the room

Pho

B.J.Rogers (right). Executive Director of Outright Vermont, thanked Samara and its supporters for the
foundation's continuing support of his organization's work with GLBTQ youth. He is pictured with Howdy
Russell. a member of Samara’s board of directors.

Photo: Barbara Dozetos

(L to R) Samara Board President Linda Markin, Board Member Howdy Russell, and Executive Director
Bill Lippert joined other staff, volunteers supporters, grant recipients, and scholarship winners in the cele-
bration. ' ' .

and saw a range of fine people
there that any community
would be proud to welcome,”
he said. “And most communi-
ties do.” a

;Photo' Barbara Dozetos

 

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’ Nearly 80 people gathered in the Cedar Creek Room at the State House on August 3 to celebrate
E N O S B U R G Samara Foundation's first three years of making grants and scholarships to organizations and individus-

933-5 831 T y las that strengthen the LGBT community in Vermont.