*9?‘

editorial

ur formal Pride celebration has
come and gone. And there are
reasons to be proud and to cel-
ebrate our identities, our culture, our
survival, our persistence, and our gains.
Here are some of them:

The Tony Awards became a
huge gay love-fest with “The Kiss” and
recognition of gay actors and writers
and gay-themed Broadway plays.
There are gay days at Disney
World.

In New Hampshire,
Episcopalians elected the first gay bish-
op in the country; another gay bishop
was appointed in England.

In New Jersey, a civil unions
bill has been introduced in the legisla- ’
ture, and Connecticut is also consider-
ing such a move. 5 C
In Kentucky, Governor Paul
Patton signed an order prohibiting dis-
crimination against state employees
because of sexual orientation or gender
identity. Lexington will offer "domestic
partnership benefits to city employees.
In California, statewide domes-
tic partnership legislation is making its
way through the state legislature with
the Assembly’s passage of A.B. 205,
the Domestic Partners Rights and ‘
Responsibility Act of 2003, granting
same-sex couples nearly all the rights, _
benefits and responsibilities granted to
spouses under state law.

In the U.S. Congress, Sen.
Mark Dayton, D-Minn., and Rep.
Barney Frank, D-Mass., introduced The
Domestic Partnership Benefits and
Obligations Act (H.R. 2426, S. 1252),
legislation that would grant the same
benefits, including health insurance
coverage, to the domestic partners of
federal employees that are currently
granted to federal employees‘ legal
spouses.

And in Canada, same-sex cou-
ples — from Canada and elsewhere
around the world — can now legally
marry. Canada joins the Netherlands
and Belgium in recognizing gay and
lesbian marriages.

It didn’t rain on our parade,
and there were no major mishaps dur-

rently the only state where relationships
between two people of the same‘ gender
are legally recognized, and our former
governor is running hard promoting a
pro-equality agenda. Our legislature
will likely consider a measure to pro-
hibit discrimination on the basis of gen-

ing the Festival. We live in what is cur-’

Reasons to
Be Proud...
and to Fight On  

cler expression and identity.

We’ve been politically active '
for years, and we are finally reaping the
benefits of some of the energy we’ve

‘ SOWl’l.

But we can’t stop now! And
the reasons we can’t stop are also all
around us:

Rick Santorum still holds a
leadership position, despite his bigoted
support of government intrusion into
bedrooms — not just gay and lesbian
bedrooms, all bedrooms.

A Department of Justice
employee Pride celebration with a six-
year history was first canceled by Big
Brother Ashcroft, then re-instated on a
second-classbasis: it could be held, but
only if the gay employees paid for the
facilities, something no other employee
group is required to do. Ashcroft broke
an explicit promise he made during
confirmation hearings that he would
continue the tradition. DOJ Pride
declined to pay for ‘facilities they I
should have been entitled to use for
free, and held their celebration else-
where. ‘ » _
Abstinence—only programs for
AIDS prevention, which have not been
shown to’ be effective and do not
address the needs of gay menand les-
bians, are gaining government funds ' 
(our tax dollars), while condom, infor-
mation is disappearing from govern- _
ment health-infonnation websites and
grant proposals containing certain
words — like gay men, sex workers, and
condom distribution — are reportedly
being screened out of contention. V

None of the rights we as mem-
bers of glbtq communities enjoy in our
home state are recognized by our '
national government. In fact the current
administration is busy undermining the
equal rights we seek. In mid-June, the
Office of Management and Budget
announced newly implemented rules
that would allow the administration to
potentially privatize half of the federal
work force. Under the Bush proposal,
privatized workers would lose federal
non-discrimination protections that
cover bias against individuals based on
their sexual orientation.

And then there are the judges
with long histories of being anti-gay
that Bush continues to nominate for
life-long positions on the federal bench,
the latest of whom is Alabama Attorney
General Mark Pryor. Even the Log
Cabin Republicans — a group of conser-

vative gay Republicans 4 have joined

other gay and lesbian groups in oppos- ’

ing his nomination.

We like to think of Vermont as
an island of sanity and safety in a hos-
tile world. Vermont is not an island.
Right—wing conservatives still run the
House of Representatives. And in the
Senate, a constitutional amendment has
been filed to define away our marriage
rights. Those of our neighbors who feel
somehow threatened by our very being
are biding their time, waiting for us to

‘ relax our vigilance. And discrimination

still happens, whether you’re gay or
lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer;
Civil unions remain a terrific,
historic step toward equality and social
acceptance, but they still are not rou-
tinely recognized beyond our borders.

_ And until some «state passes a true

same-sex marriage bill and same sex-
married couples challenge the federal
and state Defense of Marriage Acts, not

even marriage will get us true equality 

before’ the law. «

4 And then," closest to home for
us, therejremains the realistic possibili-
ty that Vermont’s only newspaper for
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer communities will either
‘cease print publication or devolve into

' a newsletter.

We have every hope" and faith
that our communities and our allies will
come through,.that you all kiiowthe‘ "
value of having our own loudspeaker to
amplify our voices statewide, that-you
care enoughjto help. Some‘ of you have
already pledged or given additional
financial support — thank you. Some
have promised to advertise a please .
thankthese businesses for their support.
For our part, -we continue to chip away
at’ our deficits by cutting expenses —

., including cutting the already minimal

pay oftwo of our three paid staff mem-
. bers.‘ __ - _ ' ~
4 But we ~ at Out. in the

Mountains and .in our larger communi- ‘

‘ties — are along way from beingsafe.

. So, even though we’re tired,
and we’ve been traumatized in fighting
for legal equality, and we’re worried
about ourjobs going away and our kids
being harassed in schools, we can’t
stop now. Please carry on. Second class
is not good enough. ‘fNearly all the
same rights” is not equality. The prize
is worth the struggle.

Euan Bear