Mixed Media: Domestic Terrorism h. if only my Midwest- evangelical-protestant friends loved me more! I have a cute apartment. an impres- si\e shoe collection. and I'm in no irrirninerit danger of gettin' hitched any time soon. But alas. they see right past my vapid. glossy exterior to my inner militant. They see in me the potential for massive social upheaval. disruption of the 2.} kid ratio, and a looming insurgency against heterosesuahty. Three day s after ('hrrstrnas I90‘). I \\ as lucky enough to hear .\Ir. Gary Bauer. nrnning for President of the L'nitcd States. announce on Vermont Public Radio that the \‘ermont Supreme (‘oun's decision to recog- ni/e same-gentler couples was “vtrirse than terrorism." A stunning parallel. you sa_\ L’ Portentous per- haps. inasmuch as this was two years before invoking terrorism came into vogue for politicians of comment \|- ent largely under the radar. it it as ea.s_v to detect anxiety about penetrated boundaries in the anti—marriage testimony before the Vemiont Legislature in 2000. The State House security chief prom- ised an increased security presence after the tcnorist comment. in the midst of the public furor over Cl\ il unions. For a while. it seemed hordes of menacing queers were enveloping the Green Mountains. Talking about sex could prove challenging if we don’t continue energetic dialogue, but what better motivator to queer action than a nationwide sex panic and moral crisis? any stripe. \'t ho vowed to "hunt tlietn down and kill tlietn." (The satire "smoke ‘em out" atnbitioii has never been applied to prosectit- ing hate cririie perpetrators man_v of these crimes still go nninvcsti- gated.) Mr, Ilauer shared art nnlortunatc sentiment. as viewed through tlte present day rainbow- coiled terror-epoch iniiitlset. btit the l'or'iiier presitlent of the l‘ami|_v Researcli ('ottiicil was iinapolo- getic. 'l'liankfully if ironically his bid for the White House was rcjectetl. and we were offcretl another cantlidtite whose religion requires marriage remain between one man and one woman. 'l'hotigh l3auer's "worse than terrorism" llaving abandoned our onslaught of Hawaii. we had infiltrated Montpelier and forwarded our agenda. Vermont lay prostrate at our feet. and citiI.en.s could do nothing to voice concem. In 200-1. this paranoia \\ as stirred again. with many states proposing anti-gay legislation. With the country in an on-again. off-again fervor abotrt terrorisiii. tran.sl'erring fear to art easy scape- goat (queer Arnericairsl and a help- less victim (the instittitiori of mar- riage) inay have altered the course of pre.sidential. corigre.s'.sional. and local elections. In the last few weeks. we have been proinised a constitutional amendment. and a shakeiip in the Supreme Court could further erode legal prece- dents that allow queer people to live and love as we see fit. Despite this political backlash. I believe we're worthy of support. tax dol- lars. and truth. Talking about sex could prove challenging if we ' don't continue energetic dialogue. but what better motivator to queer action than a nationwide sex panic and moral crisis? I work in HIV prevention at Vermont CARES. How does 7 rejecting a conservative accusation of queer terrorism relate to reduc- ing HIV infections? You can read in a previous Out in the Mountains (October 2004) about our agenc_v's decision to decline funding from the federal govemment. because the reponing. tracking. and survey- ing requirements would be stagger- ingly onerous. Those guidelines were developed during the Clinton administration. and we are still grappling with the consequences for positive. affirming HIV preven- tion programs - especially pro- grams for queer people. We will soon learn about this administra- tion's plans for HIV prevention. No matter what stance the federal govemment takes on queers. con- doms. marriage. and HIV testing in the future. Vermont will continue to enjoy reliable. anonymous HIV prevention for those of us who demand infomiation and options to reduce our risks. If demanding equality for queer people is akin to force or ter- rorism against the state in the eyes of a presidential candidate. am I advocating for force‘? No. I sup- pose primarily I am renewing the call for queer Vermonters to enhance community esteem. take eare of one another. act conscien- tiously toward our allies. and work hard to maintain the rights and responsibilities we‘ve eamed. 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