out in the mountains Financial Planning is important for anyone. For gay and lesbian partners it can be crucial. For same sex partnerships, proper financial planning can help ensure that you and your loved ones are properly protected. As a Financial Consultant, my goal is to meet your needs in a relationship based on trust and professionalism, working closely with your attorney or CPA to develop a strategy based on your unique situation and objectives. Call me for a free consultation. Mitchell Rosengarten Financial Consultant (802) 775-4371 or (800) 628-2132 90 Merchants Row Rutland, VT 05701 THIS IS WHO WE ARE. THIS IS HOW WE EARN IT." SWm Smth Haney does not offs tax or legd advice Please comultyour tat/legs aavisor for such guidance 02004 On roup Global Makes me Manner SlPC srmn Barney is a division aid iavice mark of Ciugroup lobal Marat: Inc aid IB affiliates aid is used aid registered throughout the world CJTIGROUP Zld the Urrbrella Device are tradernarlts and S£fV|(B mark; of Ctticorp or its affiliate aid are used and registered throughout the world Tl-HS IS WHO WE ARE THIS IS HOW WE EARN IT is a service mark oi‘ Ciugroup Global Markets lri<. f»\/\ 6"~ 90 Main Street 9.0. Box 875 3LAcKwo0D Burlington, VT 05402 —-—————— ao2-ass-2517 8: DANON, PC faic 802-863-0262 ——niitamays—— inf blackw I . PmvidinglegalservioeseddressingissuesirnportarittoLGBTlOA iridlvidudsandfarriiiies-adoptions, wi'I1s,estattipIarining,erripIoyrrientand educatimlssues,dvflrlgIxs,mmalkijwies,aridsmaIlbtisiriessnmflers. Pwchoanalysis Pastoral Counseling Individuals & Couples Jungian orientation 9 Center Court River Road, Northampton MA Putney VT 413-584-2442 802-387-5547 Janet Langdon, Mdiv, NCPsyA jliesl@sover.net OUT in the MOUNTAINS Wilkommen for Lesbians & Gays Vermont Gay Tourism 'Association Markets to BY EUAN BEAR aterbury -- lf you read national gay‘ and lesbian magalines — in print or online — y'ou'ye seen them. niaybe even got a few ads in your email inbox or pop-ups or ~unders at cer- tain websites: pitches urging you to come to the gay‘-friendly environs of Philadelphia. or Miami. or Key‘ West. What you may not know is that municipal budgets — public money‘ — pay‘ for a lot of those ads. Vennom has nothing like it. At least. not from the state's tourism budget. Enter the Vennont Gay Tourism Association (VGTA). a group of business owners. some gay. some straight. all of whom want to welcome lesbians and gay men as customers for their inns. restaurants. catering establishments, even a graphic design shop. The president of the 30-member group is Jeff Connor. co-proprietor with his wife of the Griinberg Haus. a 8&8 in Waterbury. "Vermont was named one of the top ten destinations by Our & About. coming in third after Paris and Hawaii." Connor says. "We need to take advantage of all that we have to offer a market that the state is not marketing to." Vermont was the only rural destination to make the list, scoring higher than Provincetown and Montreal. The group was incorporat- ed in April. 2003, well ahead of the November, 2003. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling requiring the state to recognize same-gender marriages. Thirteen inns and B&Bs are showcased on its website's lodging page. located from Montgomery Center in eastern Franklin County to Shaftsbury. mid- way between Manchester and Bennington. “Vermont is a great desti- nation for gays and lesbians." Us (‘oniior declared. “and not Just for ciyil unions. but anytime. 'lTiat's why our slogan says ‘Romantic . adyeiiture for all.‘ lt's Just a terrific place to get away." ('oniior and his wile are rclatiye newcomers to the state and to the hospitality‘ busiiiess_ When the Ohio couple bought the Griinberg Haus four years ago. Jeff had a career in marketing consulting. mak- ing him a natural choice to head tip what is essentially a marketing asso- ciation. “I wanted Jeff to be presi- dent of the association said VGTA Treasurer Willie Docto, co-propri- etor of Moose .\li.-adow Lodge in Waterbury with his partner (ircg Trulson. "l wanted the most visible person in the association to be a straight man who is gay friendly. so the association comes across as gay- fricndly. not gay-owned." Asked how potential guests would know that (irtinberg Haus or Moose Meadow l.odge are ‘gay friendly." (‘onnor said. "Well. just the fact that they found us on gay-related travel sites. or saw our brochure. or caught us at our booth at the Gay Travel Expo in New York City." According to the group's web- site. US. gay and lesbian travel could represent a $54 billion market. l)octo said gay and lesbian guests are not necessarily looking for copies of ()uIweek in the lobby. but at how the hosts will treat them. "They want hosts who are not appalled by two men looking fora room with one bed." The members’ appeal is that they welcome everyone with ti comfortable. relaxed atmosphere. Connor added. There is no standard for “gay-fricndliness" among the members of the group. Some might display gay or lesbian iniigaziiies. others don't. “We don't go out of our way to provide gay-related informa- tion or entertainment. We have no TVs lat Griinberg Haus] so there are no videos. it's really that we IVGTA members] know each other. It's tl\.'\t:r been .i pmbleiii." ‘llic eligibility require- iiicnts page on the \'(i'l'A website tw w w .\ eriiitiiilgay tourisntcoiiil is blank. The benefits page lists il inim- bcrol items. mostly riiarketing-rclat cd. but also a discount at iiicinbcis' businesses lor other incinbers and preference in referrals. (‘onnor said that gay and lesbian couples have held civil unions at the 8&3. which other straight guests have asked to attend. “'lTie_\ were lascinated by the whole idea of a Cl\‘ll union. Some of the couples [being united] hase been together decades." lilut. he adiiiittcd, "We always have a few peoplc who don't like gays. Jews. blacks. lor- eigncrs. Soiiictimcs l think they don't like lhL'ltl\Cl\'(.‘\." “.\1ziny gay tourism com- panies market resons and cruises lo; singles. and now there are some for laiiiilies. but not for couples " Docto said. "Massachusetts closed its doors to out (ll staters ]lor legal marriage]. Vermont is unique. ()iir doors are open." Docto continued. "We formed the V(i'l'A to conipete with other areas that are aggressi\'e|y marketing to the gay comiiiunity. When you go to the Montreal web- site. there's a button for ‘Montreal. Gay to 7..' Florida cities like Miami/l-‘t. Laudcrdale and’Key West are marketing to lgbts. Philadelpliia has $‘)(l()_()t)() to market to us [over three years] ~- and those are [local or state] government funds. We busi- nesspeople have to somehow coin- pete." The association's main goal is to recruit more members from throughout Vermont. “We've got 30 mcnibers. we'd like to have ll)()." Publicity costs money. he noted. and the more iiicnihers who contribute. the more publicity they can generate. Mcinliersliip costs .‘ii|5() per year. V