Volunteer facilitator Samuel Lurie keeps discussion on track.

I‘.

 

Plnningi for
Action & Support

BY EuAN BEAR

nothing dramatic happens, and the
process is worth as much as the '
“product.” The meeting was the
Third Queer Community Summit

It’s one of those meetings where

meeting for GLBTQ organizations,
and it brought representatives of at
least 16 GLBTQ organizations o— a
significant segment of our communi-
ties — solidly together at the Vermont
Law School in January.

Its purpose was “To bring
together queer and ally community

activists/organizations for networking
to familiarize ourselvesiwith each
other’s work, to create understanding
of common issues and strategies, and
to build an effective queer movement
in Vermont.”

Organizations represented
ran the gamut from R.U.l.2? (spon-
sor of the summits), Outright, and
Faerie Camp Destiny to The Barony
of All Vermont, Christ Church
Presbyterian, and Safe Space. The
Vermont Anti-Racism Action Team
was represented by Paij Wadley
Bailey, Equality Vermont (formerly
Vermonters for Lesbian and Gay
Rights) by Keith Goslant and

- Virginia Renfrew. .

‘ Volunteer facilitator
Samuel Lurie began the morning ses—.
sion with stories from the organiza-
tion people seated at the table, per-
sonal recollections of a particularly
“queer” moment. The stories were
funny, heartbreakingly sad, or shining
with pride. Outright’s Lluvia
Mulvaney-Stanak recalled that when
she was a Castleton State student, she
went out to her car after a snowfall,
only to find “God Hates You” written
in the snow on her car. After talking
with other students about it, she went
out to the car.the next day and found
“God Loves You” written in the car’s
dusting of snow. Ken Wolvington of
Christ Church Presbyterian remember
marching in his first gay pride
parade.

Keith Goslant and Virginia
Renfrew presented an early-days
overview of the new legislature and
issues that might come up, along with
news of their meeting with the
incoming governor (see related story

on p. 3). They suggested that (despite

civil union opponent Rep. Peg
Flory’s chairmanship of the House
Judiciary Committee) it was unlikely
the House would spend time attempt-
ing to repeal or amend the civil union
law passed in the 2000 legislature.

They ofi'ered‘tips.'oh_'ge1tirig. ..

and staying involved with legislative’
politics and issues: contact yourileg-I:
islators, identify theissues you are

concerned about, let them know you I

expect to hear from them, stay in
contact, and, if you go to the
Statehouse for any reason, call ahead
and make an appointment to meet
with your senators and representa-
tives.

Renfrew said she did not
yet have a feel for whether a bill to
add gender identity to the state’s anti-
discrimination law would be intro-
duced or had a chance of passing.
Goslant said the community should
be concerned about healthcare fund-
ing and should be organizingnow
against potential cuts, initially by
identifying a legislator who will
adopt the issue and make it a priority.

The summit participants
broke into four focus groups just
before lunch. The four topics had
been previously identified (top priori-
ty-vote getters from among six on a
list) for discussion: Rural organizing,
anti-oppression/anti-racism work;
transgender issues; and fundraising.
Some of the issues had come up at
previous summit gatherings.

Each group was given
seven minutes to list the “obstacles
and barriers” or “needs” regarding
each topic and to identify “first
steps” to be taken to address those '

needs. Facilitator Lurie reminded piar.-I

ticipants that the process was “brain-
storming,” meaning that it didn’t‘
matter whether the ideas were practi-
cal and that no timetor energy should
be spent critiquing any idea present-_
ed.

' After a brief cheese-cold-
cut-hummus sandwich lunch, partici-
pants chose a topic they wanted to

‘work more intensively on, presenting
the whole process at the end of the
day.

First steps and action items

‘ lists and doing mailings on behalf of
t an organization with a particular‘

on trans issues inc,!lude_d_: building {of 1
support to expand-_ the an1i-‘_discjr~im{- 
nation law; updating the Diversity‘ "V"
Health Project’s guideb0okfto,irjiclu‘de$ '
trans concerns; enlist the Departrnenté» _'
of Health in a needs assessment pr,0j,-~v:f
ect for this under-servedjpopulatjon’ I2)
building a coalition‘ of agencies' to " "
sign up for training on how to ..sup- .' fig
port transgender: clients; and each ' 
participant making a commitment to_ . o
gender-free bathrooms in our work} fl, ,
places. ' ‘ A W i ' ' ‘-
The anti-oppression/anti-v ' vj. 
racism first steps included: intention.-Y-I
ally creating popular education class-'
es to create programs on different I.
cultures; building opportunities for
people of color and white people to I:, V
interact and socialize; creating ' _
forums to highlight the interconnect-‘ ' ’
edncss of different cultures and '
oppressions; creating programming ‘ ' 
that includes and highlights black '
BLBTQ activists. Two other items on
the list were reminders to participate  K
in Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoafl‘
rations and actions against racism in H 
Burlington and Montpelier last . .-, -
month.

 
   
   
  

-a-L-'nAtl§

The other two groups’ first’ o I
stepsrevolveid aroundidentifying and 
using existingresources to ‘share. . . ;
information and exert the widestposy ,
sible influence, including organiza-
tions sharing mailing lists and donor“ '

need. _
The’ next summit is tenta- 
tively scheduled for April'or May and
may evolve -into» a day-long session ' -
on one particulartopic V ' .‘ ~

For more information on the T hir‘d-‘ ‘
Queer Community Summit and . ' . ' .'
access to t/2evon'line Que,er'.S'ummit 5.
listserve, contact.Chm‘st0pher. , ~ ‘
Kaufman (_Christopher@ru1 org,

802-860- 7812). ' V

., .;:'

Gay &
Lesbian

  Marriage

Actions
Urged for
Valentine’s
Day

hen the Los Angeles
courthouse opens at 9 AM
on Friday, February 14th

— Valentine’s Day — veteran civil
rights activist and Metropolitan
Community Church founder Rev.
Troy D. Peny and his partner of 18
years, Philip Ray DeBlieck, will be
standing in line.

They plan to apply for a
license to marry.

“And I’m encouraging
thousands of gay and lesbian couples
across the US to do the same,” said
Perry, whose churches perform more
than 6,000 same-sex weddings each

year. “It’s time to move the debate on
gay marriage forward. It’s time for
equality. It’s time for the US to catch
up with Sweden, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Gennany, France and
other countries that are providing
marriage rights for gay couples.”

According to a press
release, Rev. Troy D. Perry, a U.S.
citizen and founder of the predomi-
nantly-gay MCC with more than
46,000 members and adherents in 22
countries, is encouraging GLBT cou-
ples to go to court houses and munic-
ipal offices on February 14,
Valentine’s Day, to apply for mar-
riage licenses.

“For me it’s not a religious
issue, it’s a legal issue. It’s a matter
of equality and simple justice. If my
country is to live out its promise of
equality, all laws must be applied
equally, and that includes our mar-
riage laws.

“Imagine the power that
will be unleashed if thousands or tens
of thousands of gay and lesbian cou-
ples apply for marriage licenses on
the same day,” said Perry.

Perry, never shy when it
comes to advocating for GLBT
rights, plans to invite the media to
cover the event. “I want to be sure
our state legislators hear our voices.”

Why now?

“l’ve seen so many impor-
tant advances for gay and lesbian
people in my 34 years of activism.
But before my life is over, I want to
share in the same right afforded to
most Americans; a basic right that is
still denied to gays and lesbians.
Before my life is over, I want to
legally marry my wonderful partner
Phillip.”

And if his application for a
marriage license is turned down?
Perry is undaunted. “Well, realistical-
ly, the odds are that it will be turned
down. And if so, I’ll tell them,
‘Thank you and we’ll be back next
Valentine’s Day to apply again.’ Then
l’ll step outside and talk to the press
about equality and fairness for God’s

' gay and lesbian children. And I will

be back next year.”

Perry believes the action
can increase attention to the gay civil
rights movement and he is not hesi-
tant to help lead the way.

“We have a great legacy of
public actions that helped to move
forward the cause of‘ justice. A centu-
ry ago, women took their demands
for equality under the law to voting
booths and polling places. Half a cen-
tury ago, African-Americans took
their demands for legal equality to
segregated lunch counters and places
of opression. It’s time for gay, les-

“Imagine the power that _will be unleashed if thousands-
or tens of thousands of gay and lesbian couples apply‘
for marriage licenses on the same day,” - A 
Veteran civil rights activist and Metropolitan Community
Church founder Rev. Troy D. Perry

bian, bisexual and transgender per-
sons to advance our own quest for
equality by taking our demands to
courthouses and municipal offices
with actions that demonstrate both
the depth of our love and the unfair-
ness of the restrictive marriage laws.”
In recent years, gay and
lesbian groups have used Valentine’s

    

Day to call attention to the lack of ' '
equality in marriage laws. By encour-v
aging thousands of gay and lesbian
couples to actually apply for mar- 
riage licenses, Perry hopes to
increase the focus on marriage

rights. V