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The Power of Youth

Pride

magine a herd of queer youth

and their allies marching

through Burlington, chanting
gay-friendly slogans at the top of
their lungs and waving huge rain-
bow ﬂags. This is Youth Pride and
it happens every year, thanks to
Outright Vermont.

I came out at Youth Pride
last year. The week before, I had
casually brought up the idea of
going to Outright to my parents,
saying that I was going to “learn
how to be an activist.”

“Isn’t that the place for
kids who are coming out?” was my
mother’s response.

I could feel my face get-
ting red. “Yes ...”

The night before that
Youth Pride I was so nervous and
excited that I could hardly sleep.
When I finally made it to
Burlington, my excitement had
overcome my fear and I was chanti-

 

rainbow apparel were a good way to
announce that a dyke was entering
the premises. I hopped off the bike
as soon as I saw the rainbow ﬂags
ﬂying on the steps of City Hall. I
could feel the excitement in the
crowd of youth and adults waiting
for the speakout to start.
I always enjoy pride

speakouts because everyone who

I was wishing that people I
knew had prejudices were
there, so that they could
see the human side of
GLBT issues instead of
reverting to “us and them”
dehumanization.

ng with the rest of them. I was
acutely aware that someone I knew
was probably watching, but I told
myself I was tired of hiding and
continued to march.

This year was much easi-
er. I got a good night’s sleep and
rode down on the back of my dad’s
motorcycle, deciding that and my

stands in front of a city and a crowd
of her peers to talk about her sexu-
ality has guts. People I never
expected to get up and speak did,
and I was glad for that because they
were so honest. Nothing was hidden
or censored to be politically correct
— it was all real.

The stories that people
have about coming out, being trans,
homophobia in schools, having gay
children, and everything else need
to be heard. I found myself wishing
that people I knew had prejudices
were there, so that they could see
the human side of GLBT issues
instead of reverting to the “us and
them” dehumanization that so often
occurs. I truly believe that the
speakout placed a thoughtful seed in
the minds of any homophobic
passersby.

After stories were told
and a song was sung (“. . .we are
queer and straight together and
we're singing, singing for our
lives...”), it was time to lighten our
hearts with a little march. Although
there are some doubts in my mind
about the effects of a march (the old
“us and them” mentality again), I
always enjoy doing it. I find the
whole process powerful -— the ﬂags
waving, the power of all of our
voices ringing through the streets in
chants, the size of our group, and
the support of spectators in the
forms of chanting along, blowing
car horns, waving, and just quietly
observing. I love being able to
announce my community and
myself to the world without fear.
The march gives courage to GLBT
people and reassures those on the
sidelines that whatever their sexual-
ity is is okay.

The rest of the day passed
well with plenty of workshops to go
to, movies to watch, and shopping
to do. The day finished off with a

"drag show and prom, which was the

perfect end to a great celebration of
youth. We really are here, queer,
and fabulous. V

Lauren Parker is a student at
Champlain Valley Union.

Elders

cont’d from previous page

als do when they imagine that they
can be married to someone with

whom they enjoy sharing their lives.

The LGBT person still must go
through what can be a tortured com-
ing out process to get to the place
where they can begin to feel this
same joy that is second nature to
others.

Understand that I will
Want my privacy respected in the

same way that any heterosexual,
bisexual or transgender individual or
someone of another race would.

Understand that I want
people who mean a lot to me around
me when I am ill and when I am
dying. Understand that some of
these people will be of my own gen-
der. Understand I may want to be
physically intimate with these indi-
viduals — that there will be hugging
and kissing in the hospital room. I
may want my partner to be allowed
to sit with me through the night.

Understand that I will expect you to
treat my friends as if they were fam-
ily.

Understand that we will
respect, honor and thank you for
treating us like human beings, more
alike — than different from — the het-
erosexuals among you. V

Bob Wolff is a potter, theatrical set
and sound designer, and queer elder
activist who lives and writes in
Randolph.

 

S C m C] I’ C!
Foundation of Vermont

The Samara Founda ermont is a
charitable foundation W ose mission is to
support and strengthen Vermont's gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered communities
today and build an endowment for tomorrow.

Todd Lawrence
Sales 8 Leasing Consultant

Please call 802-865-8226
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South Burlington. Vezunont 05403

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