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hether you’re reading this
editorial in newsprint or
in its online incarnation,

you’re looking at an endangered
species. »
Now completing its 16th

and beginning its l7th year of publi-

‘ cation, OITM is the only newspaper

that consistently and completely
focuses every issue on gay men, les-
bians, bisexuals of both genders (and
yes, we could use more focus — and
writers — in that area), transfolk, and
queers.

We’ve reported that we —
Mountain Pride Media and OITM —
are in debt. It’s not through any

' extravagance ~ if you’ve ever seen

our offices, you know we’re not
spending much money on our sec-
ond-floor walkup firetrap over a
restaurant in an aged building in dis-
repair in downtown Richmond. There
are no extravagant salaries to account
for: paid staff include the editor (who
receives a poverty-level wage), the
art director (a stipend for a week’s
work), and the half-time operations
manager (who is also the web editor,
the source editor, and the ad manager
for a relatively low wage and no ben-
efits). Advertising sales representa-
tives receive a commission on their
sales. The board of our nonprofit par-
ent organization and publisher,
Mountain Pride Media, is all-volun-
teer.

lt’s not for lack of fundrais-
ing effort. Many of you have sent
donations and subscriptions in
response to our pleas and because
you like the unique product we_ bring
you. You believe in us, inthe need
for us to exist, and we work harder
because "you do. Our volunteer
fundraising committee has met its
goal for the year of $35,000, a
remarkable achievement.

The real problem is in
advertising income ‘— an area I usual-
ly steer clear of (this is a one-time
exception). Many of the usual busi-
nesses and service providers that are
well known to the members of our
community — because we gather
there, or the owners are members of
our communities — buy advertising
regularly in our pages. They do it to
support our communities, and we
need to remind them that it matters to
us that they do, and to thank them for
their support. A few do it because we
are the best venue for them to reach

 

editorial

Queer Money ~

our communities, the unique popula-
tions we represent.

But we don’t confine our
economic, entertainment, sustenance,
and travel dollars to gay-owned busi-
nesses. In Vermont, that would be
difficult. We spend our money on car
repair and maintenance (or every few
years on buying or renting a car),
auto insurance, snow tires; on cloth-
ing, shoes, jackets; on skis and lift
tickets or day passes at cross-country
centers; on vacations — whether
camping in a state park orjetting off
to Palm Springs — which means trav-
el agents, luggage, hotels or B&B’s.
We buy glasses or contact lenses — or
laser treatments. We get our hair cut
by professionals.

We go to grocery stores for
our own meals and feed stores for
our companion animals (dogs. cats,
horses, iguanas, goldfish, birds both
domesticated and wild). We buy
leather and lace and candles and
flashlights and magazines and books.
We buy other recreational equipment:
canoes and kayaks and power and
sail boats; hiking boots; tennis rac-
quets; softball gloves; lawn chairs;
binoculars and telescopes,

We rent apartmentsor buy
houses and condos. We repair our
houses with the help of carpenters.
electricians, plumbers. We furnish
our apartments and houses with
appliances and beds and chairs and
electronics for music and pictures
and stock our kitchens with dishes
and glasses and silverware; we buy
pots and pans and knives‘ and spatu-
las to cook with. We plant plants in
pots with soil that came from the gar-

‘ den supply store.

Many of us email on com-
puters we bought somewhere,
through an Internet Service Provider
we pay, the more rural among us on
telephone dial-up lines whose cost
appears on our phone bills. Some of
us call ahead on a cell phone we
bought or that came with the calling
plan we bought.

And don’t even get me
started on what we spend on our kids
— clothes, shoes, toys, games,

‘ strollers, cribs, beds, dressers,

playpens, rocking horses, puzzles,
computer games, vaccinations and
checkups, visits to dentists and eye
doctors, bicycles big and small,
skateboards, inline skates 
Bottom line is this:

Lavender money pays bills and
salaries just like green money does.

-There should be a lot more business-

es asking for your business by sup-
porting your community’s newspaper.

Do you think we could try
an experiment? Take some amount of
cash money that you allow yourself
each week (or each month if that
makes more sense for you) for
expenses and entertainment, and
write on each bill - whether it’s a one
or five or a twenty, or on the checks
you write - “Gay Money” or
“Lesbian Money” (or Bi or
Transgender — though Gay and ’
Lesbian tend to get used as shorthand
for all of us, and we need to keep it
simple). Then write it on each bill
you get in change for a larger bill
(keeping a pen in your car or pocket
or bookbag helps). After a couple of
weeks, take a copy of OITM to five
of the places you’ve done business
and ask why they aren’t advertising
in the paper that you read.

L If ten people tried this
experiment, we might get five new
advertisers‘. If 50 people tried it. we
might get 25 new advertisers and
come close to breaking even. If 500
members of our community spread
their gay and lesbian money around
in an identifiable way — if 500 gay.
lesbian. bisexual. and transgender
Vermonters then asked the recipients
why they didn’t advertise in our
paper — why. we could double our
page-count, we’d be able to pay
salaries above poverty level — maybe
even offer benefits! We could finally
afford to move into accessible offices
with a copy machine that works; pay
writers, artists, and photographers;
and improve the quality and quantity
of the stories we can bring to you.

imagine, if you can. Are
you willing to try?

We are an economic force
in Vermont and it’s time we showed
our impact. if you try this out, please
email us (ads@mountainprideme-
dia.org) or call the paper at 802-434-
5237with the business name and
phone number, so we can follow up.

Euan Bear

<<‘<<4<4<4<<<<

Where is Santa when you need him?

MPM relies on the generousity of community members!
Here is a small list of some of the items we need:

A Plain Paper lnk Jet Fax Machine
A Cell Phone
A Cordless Phone V

Cable or DSL modem & hook-up

A Computer Mouse for our Think Pad
Carrying Case for our Think Pad

A Sale

Packing Tape

lf you are interested in making a donation or have something you
think we might be able to use, please contact us at
mpm@rr1ountainpridemedia.org or call 802-434-6486.

A Copier that can do Tabloid Size (11 X 17 inch sheets)

An All-ln-One (ink jet printer, fax, scanner, copier)

Plain Brown Paper Bags (no printing on them) for our Stuftings

A Mail Scale that can weigh packages up to 35 lbs. or more
Various office supplies (Laser Toner cartridges, tolders, labels, etc.)