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letters

More Than Sex

believe this is the first letter I have
ever written to Out in the
Mountains. 1 will get right to the
point. I thought your last issue of
OITM with a picture of a large penis
on the back page, was the poorest
judgment I have ever seen. What
were you folks thinking? Your news-
paper appears in several reputable
business establishments in Waterbury,
to be viewed by anyone passing by.
That also includes young children.
Many of these business owners sup-
port the display or your paper,
despite criticism from bigoted indi-
viduals.

The picture on the back
page is nothing short of pornography.
Your staff might think it was humor-
ous, but as a professional gay man, I
found it offensive. It does not repre-
sent who I am or what I condone. I
do not like seeing those type of pho-
tographs in any publication, let alone
one that is representing my commu-
nity. My first thought was more
ammunition for Nancy Sheltra and
TIP.

Our community is more
than sex. Many may disagree with
me, but my life with my partner is
the nurturing of our relationship with
each other, professional lives, our
home, our friends, and most impor-
tant, our families. A large penis
slapped on the back page is far from
what I want to be equated with. So
come on folks, use some discretion
and prudence next time you publish
something like that. Before you know
it, you'll be in the same class with the
‘ National Enquirer, and then I will no
longer purchase your paper.

John P. Castaldo
Waterbury Center

funny thing happened
the other day. I'd
been out doing interviews
and came back to a
lengthy batch of voice-
mail (except during pro-
duction week, there's
usually no one in the
‘V office but me). A fellow
 named Barry identified
 himself as a happily mar-
 ried, straight family man
from Gullford, and he had
picked up a copy of the
March issue of OITM with
Pat Robinson's story on
Representative Nancy
Sheltra’s latest anti-gay
move. He was calling to
let me know what hap-
pened with the so-called
“nopromohomo" nonbind-
ing resolution at their
town meeting. “We all
went to |unch," he said,
"and then we came back
nd every seat in the hall

  

ought we, as “watchers
nd guardians for civil
rights," needed to know
about the tactics being

  

 

   

editor’s notebook

said, “Keep up the good
work." Thanks, Barry.

of "nopromohomo," I've
been asked by a few
people whether we
tracked how many towns
considered the controver-
sial resolution, and how
many towns passed it
versus how many passed
over it. The answer is
nobody apparently has
tracked the complete
results. I made an editori-
al decision that the
measure and its primary
proponent have already
received more than
enough coverage in
these pages, and there's
no need to gloat.

Corrections:

As in any transition, the
new person is bound to
make a mistake or ten.
And I did. As the paper of
record for our community,
we strive to be as accu-
rate as possible. I will do
my best to correct errors
of fact, attribution, affilia-
tion and the like. It helps
if you bring them to my
attention via email or

NO Dildos Please

id we really need that photo of

the “dildo” clad drag queen on
the back page of the March edition? I
found it offensive and unnecessary.
We’d be screaming if this was the
mainstream press again using the
most outrageous images as represen-
tative of our community (as they
often do). In this case, we have only
ourselves to blame.

Let’s not forget that “our”
paper is available everywhere
throughout the state. Call me a‘ prude,
but I cringe when I think ydung kids
could easily see that picture in “our” '
paper. We'll make lots of friends
when they go home asking mommy
or daddy what that is. Then of
course, there are all those bigots
who’ll just see more proof we're all
sex crazed. Why help them with their
distortions that we know they will
use against us?

If OITM wants to claim to
be my “voice,” I ask you exercise
some tact in how you represent me
and mine.

Chuck Kletecka
Waterbury Center

I may not have made the same choice
left to my own devices, but probably
not for the same reasons as Mr.
K/etecka and Mr. Castaldo. 0n the
other hand, 1 do not intend to make
such choices based on whether they
might stir up Vermonts homphobes.
And I suggest that leaving sex out
entirely betrays a significant part of
who we are. — EB

voicemail or letter.

V In the March Issue we
trust you all found the
rest of the “Civil Unions
Not Taxing" article on
page 6, despite being

And speaking
directed to page 4.

contributors for the
incorrectly included

Euan Bear, Alison

Kirby, Bennett Law.

McLeod, Tim Miller,
Nichols, Eric Orner,

Dennis Scott-Bush,

Matthew Thorsen, and

Jason Whipple.

“Mourning Mom.”
V Amber Leventry’
of residence fell off
page. She lives in
Williston.

V In Crow's Caws,

V The masthead list of

contributors from the pre-
vious issue. It should

have read: Kevin Thomas
Althouse, Michael Alvear,

Bechdel, Crow Cohen,

April Elizabeth, Robert

Amber Leventry, Ernie

Pratt, Pat Robinson,

V Howdy Russell's first
name was misspelled in

(“Barbies & Trucks”) town

Monogamy Not
Required

ear OITM Editor,
Thanks for your premier editori-
all You started me thinking more I
about where we are and where we're
going as communities. The questions
you asked were insightful and timely
and I look forward to reading your
next editorial. Having said that, allow
me to quibble with one word — you
said, “Lesbians and gays in monoga-
mous relationships have the option of
obtaining legal recognition in civil
union ...”
From my point of view, the
word “monogamous’_' in that sentence

v is an unnecessary and inaccurate

qualifier. There is nothing in the civil
union law that requires a couple to be
monogamous any more than there is
in the civil marriage laws of.our
state. While some churches may
require an intention to be monoga-
mous before they will hold a reli-
gious ceremony and unite a couple in
civil union or marriage, the state does
not require such intentions. So why
did you find it necessary to use the
word? Could it be that you unknow-
ingly hold to a stereotypical image of
couples that choose to enter into a
civil union? I believe that, just as is
the case in the heterosexual world of
marriage, a wide range of same-gen-
der couples may choose to enter into
a civil union. All they must require is
a desire to act as legal next of kin for
each other. Whether they are physi-
cally intimate with each other exclu-
sively or at all is not the business of
the state.

My argument is weakened
by the fact I can't cite myself as an

> continued on page 

Chicky Palmer's hus-
band's name is Don (not
Ron).

-9

V The column moniker
for Michael Alvear should
have been "S|ouching
Through Gomorrah.”

V And we hope that not
too many of you waited 7
until Saturday to meet at '

issue
some

gested, since the calen-
dar listed the gathering
for Fridays.

Back Cover Reactions:

It was interesting (U see
that the most vocal oppo
sition to the artwork on
the back page of last
month's issue came from
men: two letters and a
phone call. The caller
canceled his subscriptio
in disgust. Two lesbians,
friends of mine, men-
tioned the inflatable peni
on the back page but
assumed printing and

s placing it weren't my
decisions (as the new
the person in a temporarily
shared position) and tha
it wouldn't happen again
on my watch. Stay tuned ‘

Joel
Dean

 

 

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