P.R.I.D.E. _
Re-organize - .

Numbers Down, Collaboration Up  

Bv EUAN BEAR‘ _»

urlington — Well, for once the weather
Bcooperated. July 10 was a gorgeous,

sunny day, lightly breezy and not too
hot. The parade stepped off on time, thanks to
clipboard-wielding co-chair Michael Glidden
marshalling the marching units into line.

Most of the usual suspects were
there to parade up Main St: The Barony of All
Vermont, St. Paul’s Cathéfil, Vermont
Freedom to Marry, The Big Apple Corps
marching band from New York, Burlington ’s
Sambatucada, Boston’s Freedom Trail
marching band, Outright
Vermont, Love

Makes a Family,
-the Sisters LeMay in a pickup truck
from Beaver Pond, the Unitarians, the
‘more light’ Presbyterians, a Dignity
group of gay Catholics, Vets for
Peace, Love Makes a Family, Pride
Parade Grand Marshal Yolanda striking a
queenly pose on the back of a convertible,
accepting smooches from friends dashing up

 

  

?
fii1,’’_'d§‘<¥ , .. 
 ‘ o-director
Llttfiv‘pai;rwMtI‘§v’aiiey-Stanak. stsé disagreed with
assessments observers noting fewer people

.1.

   
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
   

 
 
 
    

,1- ,I.p.E..v=qnp6 , Committee 

out in the mountains  

participating in the parade and fewer organiza-
tions and businesses in tents and booths.
Politicians and candidates marched,
canvassed the crowds or established beach-
heads at tables in the organization tent. The
political contingent included a marching group
from the Progressive Party, including its chair-
woman, ‘Martha Abbott, Representatives Bob
Kiss and David Zuckennan, Lt. Governor can-
didate Steve Hingtgen, and what must have
been a very warm person inside the party’s
chocolate-brownmoose costume. Democrats
were out in force. Identifiable Republicans
were absent.
Among the Democrats were State
Treasurer Jeb Spaulding, lieutenant

Cheryl Rivers, Chittenden County
state Senate candidates Ed Flanagan
, and Sam Osborne, and Burlington
House candidate Jason Lorber.
Republican Governor Jim
Douglas was represented by a let-
ter, read to the festival
—— crowd at

the Waterfront by
Mulvaney-Stanak, who had, she
said, requested a proclamation six weeks in

    
 

  
    

‘  "it-utséanft giroéiitiit Pride
?Day;” The letter mention; and multi-
plicity and touts the s‘ignin‘g of school anti-bul-
lying and racial harassment bills.

governor candidates Jan Backus and ' x

   

She contrasted the gov-
emor’s letter with the proclama-
tion issued by Mayor Clavelle
“that mentions lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender four
times‘ and declares‘ Pride Day.”
Both men are candidates for
governor in the November elec-
tion. ' ' "
Mulvaney-Stanak
characterized the celebration as
“more of a community presence,
more collaboration” among community organi-
zations, pointing to a weekend-long spread of
events, from Thursday’s concert to the wind-up
picnic at St. John’s Club. It was, she said,
“more cohesive” than recentPrid_e celebrations
have been.

P.R.I.D.E. Vermont Co-Chair
Michael Glidden agreed with assessments that
the number of participants in the parade was
smaller than previous years. “Any group that
found contributing $15 to P.R.I.D.E. a hin-
drance I find difficult to understand,” Glidden
said. “There were those groups and individuals

who found it too much effort to register
or to put together their floats.”

The cost of the parade alone, he
added, was about $1,00_0,‘between secur-
ing the staging areaat Union Station and

paying for police escort services.

The Waterfront’s vendor area — the
booths and tables under tents — was “small-
er than in 2000, the largest Pride we’ve ever
had,” Glidden said. But, Glidden added,- -
“The number of people who stayed at the
Waterfront for the Festival was much greater.
Vendors got extreme exposure.”

Glidden pointed to the shifi in the

5 vcommi'ttee’si— method of registration for tables
5 . and bogths at the PRIDEVermont.org website.
" “Organizations are goingto have to shifi to
‘ g coming to our website to get their informa-
G ifl§)l1‘,:’>Gd:lddBI.1 said.‘ Three o ns‘mat

  
 
   
   

 

decision not to do
traditional event
and bake-sale type
fundraising for the
festivities
Former
P.R.I.D.E. VER-
MONT committee
member Brian Cina
had a unique view as
a security volunteer
— staffing an intersee; - ,
tion, watching the
parade pass. “It was fun, maybe a little smaller.
Every group was there, but they were smaller.”
Except for the Outright contingent, which ‘had

’ 30 youth marching, chanting and raising a

ruckus. .

But his overwhelming impression
was that it was “tame.” While giving the cur-
rent committee full marks for pulling the day
together, Cina observed, “It was more chill.
The feeling of the day was mellow. That’s not
bad or anything, I had a good time. It is so
important for new people to join [the organiz-

_-ing committee] each year, so that as people

rotate through there’s still some continuity.‘
People need to" help, and not just criticize.”
Cina disagreed with moving the

Speakout from pre- to post-parade. “I like. to
get people riled up, give the parade energy. It
really should be before the parade.”

‘ Asked about P.R.I.D.E. Vermont’s
recent budget deficits, Glidden declared, “I am

~ confident we will more than break even. In

raw numbers, we did not spend more than we
have on the books as income.” The committee
is seeking to be fiscally “transparent,“ and the
accounting for this year’s Pride Festival will be
on the website by the end of August.

Asked whether he would sign up for
next year’s committee, Glidden demurred.
“I’m focused on winding things down for this