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out in te mountains

 

  Gala Opening for R.U.1.2?

Queer Community Center

 

Bv EUAN BEAR

eginning with a sumptuously all- .
volunteer-catered donor party on

Friday night, the second weekend
in June proved to be a gala public debut
for the newly re-located and expanded
R.U.l.2? Queer Community Center.
From a one-room office on Burlington’s

waterfront, the center moved into a cen- ‘

tury-old brick building at 34'Elmwood
Avenue, just a block from downtown.
The building is owned by the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship, which also
owns the twin building next door that
formerly housed Outright and Vermont
CARES. Outin the Mountains hasan ~
office in the new center.

It was a busy weekend. On
Friday, Executive Director Christopher
Kaufman awaited the arrival of out-of
town-guests, then set off to IBM for a
Pride-month presentation sponsored by
EAGLE at IBM, the lgbt employees’
organization.

The out-of-town guests included
Sheila Healy, the executive director of
the National Association of LGBT
Community Centers, on whose board
Kaufman sits. There are 139 such centers
in the United States, and, Healy said,
Burlington is the smallest city in the
United States to have one.

The other essential out-of-town-
er was Michael Fleming, executive direc-
tor of the David Bohnett Foundation,
which funded the pseudonymous cyber
center at R.U. 1 .2? to the tune of nearly
$30,000. The David Bohnett Cyber
Center holds eight IBM computers, all
with Internet and World Wide Web
access. According to Kaufman, it is the
second largest public-access computer
center in Vermont.

Lawmakers David Zuckerman, a

Progressive, and Bill Lippert, a
Democrat, joked at the Friday night
donor party that there are a mere dozen
computers for all 180 legislators in

h!

ls Sheila Healy (left) picking Howard Dean's shirt pocket?

    

R.U.1.2?’s Board chair Cathy Resmer (right) and

Christopher Kaufman (right

Foundation Director Michae

Montpelier’s State House.

R.U.l.2.’s is the 19th cyber cen-
ter funded by the Bohnett Foundation,
Fleming announced at the donor party,
with the 20th (in Kansas City) following
the next week. “I have the easiest job,”
he said. “I get to sign the checks and go
to great places like Burlington to see
such a vibrant community center. We’ve
done our part in opening our checkbook
to set up the center, now I hope all of
you will do likewise.” .

Board Chairwoman Cathy
Resmer thanked staff and volunteers for
working so hard to make the center-a
warm and welcoming space, something
the co-founders hardly dared to envision
5 years ago. Stalwart R.U.l.2? volunteer
Moretti donated the catering, a feast that
included salmon, ham, grilled chicken

rear), along. with Bohnett
I Fleming look on.

skewers, two flavors of baked brie,
stufied cherry tomatoes, fruit, baked
savories and much more. Ted Looby
played guitar and Winnie Looby sang
over the buzz of voices, while 135 Pearl,
in the persons of Craig Mitchell and
Robert Thompson, donated the buzz-giv-
ing beverages and presided over the bar.
The following day’s picnic and
open house drew a crowd laden with
potluck offerings, local musicians bring-
ing instruments, and politicians seeking
signatures on nominating petitions. Jason
Lorber (House), Jeb Spaulding (incum-
bent Treasurer) — and by report, Ed
Flanagan (Senate) — showed up in per-
son, while Wes Richie represented Jan p
Backus (Lt. Governor). The politicla
highlight of the day was the appeamace
of former governor and former presiden-

_ vative one.

 

tial candidate Howard Dean with a small
entourage in his first appearance at a
public gay event in Vermont. Someone I
shouted, “Welcome home!” To warm
laughter, Dean replied, “I would’ve pre-
ferred to wait another eight years ...”
Dean thanked the crowd and

7 acknowledged that much of the start-up

money for his campaign came from the
checking accounts of gay men and les-
bians. He referred more than once during
his visit to the fact that he had been con-
sidered a wild-eyed radical for signing
the civil union bill, and now, because of
events in San Francisco, New Paltz, and
Massachusetts, his position is the conser-

The center, Dean said, was a
wonderful thing for young people espe-
cially, who are making it easier for them-
selves and easier for each other. He made
hisusual lgbt pitch: that the strongest _
thinganyone can do to help themselves
is to be themselves, to come out and to
stand up for who you are. “No decent
person can look you in the eye and say —
well- crackpots like Fred Phelps can —
but decent people "can’t look you in the
face and say ‘You don’t deserve the same
rights I have.’ They can’t do it.

“America,” he concluded, “is
stronger when everyone is included with
equal rights for all.”

OITM Editor Euan Bear present-
ed the forrner governor and candidate
with the November 2003 issue of the
newspaper, featuring “Gays for Dean” on

the cover, and an editorial calling for Dr. .

Dean to come home and acknowledge on
whose shoulders he stood.
As he was leaving, Dean was

asked by Resmer if he would consider an _

invitation to be the keynote speaker at

the 2005 R.U.l.2? fimdraising dinner. “It ‘

depends on who wins in November,”
Dean replied, clearly anticipating a spot
in a Democratic administration and a
need to be in Washington next April. V