It's War, and It's Personal

tain now. Last month President Bush

declared another war. When I read about
a $1.5 billion welfare reform effort to pro-
mote marriage, I know in my heart that the
Administration is planning to use that money
against me and my partner, and against you
and yours. Since when does President Bush
care about low-income people and their rela-

If we weren’t sure before, we can be cer-

* tionships? Why not $1.5 billion towards edu-

cation? Job training? Decent housing?
Millions of ‘low-income’ people are living in
squalor and Bush wants to send them to
marriage counseling?

How will the $1.5 billion really be
spent? One take is -that Bush will use the
program-as an excuse to go to African
American churches in poor neighborhoods
and create sound bites about the sanctity of
marriage — between a man and a woman.
This, they say, will give Bush some of the
African American vote and place a wedge
between traditionally Democratic black and
gay voters. Another take is that the program
is a bone tossed to the far, right to rékfohfirm
Bush’s undying (if unspoken) supportfor the
Federal Marriage Amendment. Either way,
let’s not forget thatjust last August, Bush
said, “I believe marriage is between a man
and a woman, and I believe we ought to cod-
ify that one way or the other and we have
lawyers looking at the best way to do that.”

I don’t really care whose spin on
this proposal is correct. $1.5 billion to pro-
mote marriage? If evenra portion of this
funding can be used to subliminally adver-
tise for a constitutional amendment exclud-

ing gay and lesbian access to marriage
rights-, this is war. And we need help.

As demonstrated here in Vermont
just four years ago, we must gather the sup-
port of all our friends and family, whether
liberal, conservative, progressive, or apoliti-
cal, and prevent the White House from
breathing life into this poorly disguised ini-
tiative. Reverend Martin Luther King said
“groups tend to be more immoral than indi-
viduals,” so let’s get personal. This is not
Human Rights Campaign vs. Focus on the
Family. We do not have hundreds of millions
of dollars to out-shout the Traditional Values
Coalition and the Eagle Forum but, for free,
we can appeal to each and every person we
know. Daily, we have opportunities to
change the tide when we tell those people
we work with, live near, study, play and pray
with, that we are gay and lesbian and that we
are in devoted, loving, incredibly normal and
unthreatening relationships. Get personal.

My partner’s folks are, religiously
and politically, about as far right astwo peo-
ple can be. Formany years, my partner
stayed away from her family for fear of their
judgment about her “lifestyle.” To this day,
her parents strictly interpret the Bible and
are the perfect candidates to oppose anything
resembling gay marriage. Yet her folks don’t
just tolerate us. They actively support our
relationship. You see, the issue is personal
now. As soon as we gave them a chance to
know us, we stole them away from the con-
servative right. We disarmed them.
Somewhere deeper in their souls than any
preacher or politician can reach, they have

seen that our love does not diminish or
threaten their own. Our union is not a threat
to the sanctity of theirs. They are happy for
us.

Thirty years ago, Harvey Milk
called on us to come out, knowing that this
would provoke bigotry and hatred. “The
blacks (lid not win their rights by sitting qui-
etly ii; éiie back of the’bus. They got offl
Gay per ‘Ye, we will not win our rights by
staying quietly in our closets ...We are com-
ing out to fight the lies, the myths, the dis-
tortions! We are coming out to tell the truth
about gays!”

This war cannot remain all about
stranger; those ungodly and promiscuous
people who live in distant cities._ It is easy to
hate a snanger. We must make it personal. If
we speak out once for each dollar that Bush
wants to spend against us, the message will
be deafening: we are not the enemy.

_ In his letter from a Birmingham
City jail, Reverend King wrote, “We know
that we will have to repent in this generation
not merely for the vitriolic words and
actions ofthe bad people, but for the

appalling silence of the good people.” Good I

people, do not go down in silence, please. V

Susan McMillan
Assistant Editor

Happy Birthday OITM!

his issue marks the beginning of the
I 19th year of publication for Out in the
Mountains, a respectable record in the
history of gay newspapers. It also marks the
completion of two years under my editor-
ship. ,

In those two years we have brought
you 135 different writers, lesbians, gay men,
trans folk, and allies; young, adult, middle-
aged, and old; news, personal stories, pro-
files of everyday wonderful queer people,
health issues, laughter, and lots of opinions.

We’ve worked through changes of
personnel and format, reduced budgets, and
flagging energy. And the good news is we’re
still here.

Despite a national economic down-
turn, loss of national ad revenues, format-.
changing and cost-cutting, we are putting out

a well-respected and award-winning monthly
newspaper with volunteer writers and donat-
ed graphics. By ringing the alarm bell soon
enough, we had a chance to turn things
around, with your help and support. _

As a result of intense fundraising, a
grant from the Unity Project, and serious
cost-cutting, we broke even for 2003; or, as
Board President Dan Brink puts it, “We’ve
achieved sustainability.” Our income for
2003 was $30,000 below what had been
budgeted — and believe me, there were no
frills in that budget — no cell phone, no tape
recorder, no camera, not much office over-
head. But we managed to close out the year
just barely in the black. We’re not giving up
any time soon, thanks to you and our hard-
working volunteers ~ who write, draw, pho-
tograph, organize, proofread, paste-up, pack-

age, sort, mail, deliver, plan, monitor, budg-
et, ask for donations, hold fundraising
events, write grants, maintain our website,
answer mail and more.

We still need your help, your dedi-
cation, your time and energy, and yes, your
money. But mostly, right now, it’s your time
and your inspiration that are most important.

‘We need volunteers for our board of direc-

tors between now and June, when at least
three of our five current board members will
be leaving. More transitions are coming, and
with your help and some new energy on our
board and on committees, we’ll look forward
to celebrating our 20th year. V

Fri‘ ’?

Euan Bear
Editor