BY EUAN BEAR ‘ ars, shouts of joy, thoughtful dis- I courses, bad jokes, heartfelt good wishes ~ the whole traditional wed- ding panoply of expressions came into play as the couples of the Gaodridge lawsuit and other Massachusetts same-gender couples trooped off to their town clerks to apply for marriage licenses, then to court for waivers of the three-day waiting period, and to vari- ous justices of the peace or ministers for the ' long-awaited marriage ceremonies. And yes, a few Phelps-connected protesters showed up waving their signs con- demning gays and lesbians generally and equal marriage in particular as an abomina- tion to their god. Cambridge queers and allies par- tied on Sunday night to welcome newly mar- riage-eligible couples, who applied for licenses at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The first ‘ Cambridge couple got in line at midnight on Saturday. Provincetown selectmen had voted unanimously to defy the 1913 law widely viewed as racist that Republican Governor Mitt Romney used to attempt to restrict same-gender marriages to Massachusetts res- idents. Other town clerks declared they would ignore Romney’s demand that they ask for proof of residence. Asked whether Vermont would rec- ognize Bay State same-gender marriages, attorney Beth Robinson declared, “Massachusetts marriages absolutely should be respected in Vermont. Vermont law clear- Y I State Attorney General William Sorrell dis- agreed in remarks broadcast on Vermont Public Radio, citing the definition of mar- riage as between a man and a women includ- ed in the civil union law. ()ut of slate mar- riages could be rccogni7.ed as civil unions, however. According to an informal joint sur- vey of same-sex couples in Massachusetts conducted by the Freedom to Marry Coalition and MassEquality, more than half (55%) of nearly 500 respondent couples planned to have their ceremonies conducted by justices of the peace. The rest will engage the services of clergy. Nearly two-thirds oi‘ the 493 responses to the survey were from lesbian couples. The overall group wanted home- town weddings and named I33 cities and towns where they will apply for licenses and get married. Boston, as might be expected. led the pack, followed by Cambridge and Northampton. Provincetown, Worcester and Newton tied for sixth place with l2 planned weddings each. P’town was preparing to be besieged, D5614 " a§5",,”0N ly recognizes marriages that were valid where celebrated — even if the couple would not have been able to marry in Vermont. “There’s no reason,” Robinson concluded, “other than rank discrimination, to treat the ease of same-sex marriage any differently.” cont’d on p. 2 Déct-Annnou Quebec Declares War! Homophobia is theTarget Senator Laurier La Pierre and a “This day is a privileged D , P R . AiH§MgE';?eEE l Homo HOBIE BY Ric KASINI KADOUR be considered a great leap in understanding and support for lgbtqs, representatives of Fondation Emergence, which receives funding from several levels of the Canadian government from local to federal, proclaimed June 2nd to be the sec- ond annual National Day Against Homophobia. The theme of this year’s campaign is Declaration of War on Homophobia. Posters show either a man or a woman dressed in camou- flage making a fist and holding a rose. Nu a move that in the U.S. would inside movement for students to talk about the facts of homosexuality, for employers to establish programs at work, for the media to present sto- ries and reports on homophobia, for public officials to proclaim the first Wednesday in June a Day Against Homophobia, for individuals and organizations to take the initiative, for a symbolic gesture,” the group explains. During a press conference at Sky Bar in Montreal’s gay village, the group outlined a media and poster campaign, along with a day of events to include a round table of community activists, journalists, and academics, a dinner in honor of ‘Solidarity Cocktail Party’ later in the evening. Fondation Emergence hopes to “show the harmful effects of homophobia; fight homophobia wherever it is found; work towards the inclusion of homosexuals in society; block the effects of homo- phobia, especially suicide; validate the contribution of gays and lesbians in society; promote harmonious rela- tionships among all people; and work together with others interested in personal rights and liberty.” The campaign is asking the people of Quebec to look at homophobia the way people look at racism — as an evil the end of whose mm mam! or $i?.':i;RE time has come, as something that has no place in a just society. In the end, they will prevail not because of the forcefulness of their argument or ,. the nature of their culture, but because of the righteousness of their position — and their willingness to advance it. FHOMOFHOIE: E The question is, then, can we in America learn from their example? In the United States, few, if any, organizations address homo- phobia as directly as Fondation Emergence. , Quebec differs °°”t d 0“ 9- 3 News 1-3 Editorial 4 Letters 5 Features 8 - 1 1 1» Views 12 - 16 Arts 17 - 21 Calendar 22 Community compass 22 The ‘so ee 25 V The Hels can Keep It p. 14. Montreaier Eleanor Brown says marriage is not good or gays. . ' V legaizing the Gaybie V Gimme Some SW1 Boom p. 8. Queer creativity P- 11- Cathy Resmer Talks doesnst Stop at marriage . to Mr. Empire State Leather ga pfiolnslf kgd . —he’s.aVermonter. VQ.IeerPoihcd Aclionp.3 Gays are getting activein _<<4<<<<<