Buster Busts Back
THANK YOU BUSTER!!! AND,
Vermont PBS for deciding to air the
“Sugartime” episode of the
Postcards from Buster show [March
23, 3:30 pm]. I remain perplexed,
angry, saddened, and somewhat
frightened that other PBS stations
around the country gave into pres-
sure from Margaret Spellings (U.S.
Department of Education Secretary)
to not air the episode. I likewise
feel quite concerned that a member
of George W. Bush’s Cabinet felt as
though the show is “inappropriate
for children.”

Whose children are they
trying to protect? Certainly not my
children; or the children of other
gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgen-
dered parents; or the children of the
many, many heterosexual parents
whoactually want their children to
spend .ti‘me with and learn about
families who are different from their
own. I am fully aware that there are
people in this country who believe
that because I am a lesbian_I am
completely devoid of any “moral
values;” that my partner and I could-
n’t‘possibly raise our children well.

The truth is, like most par-
ents, we want the very best for our
children. We are very aware of, and
sensitive to, the things that our chil-

dren are exposed to. Many of the
other types of families that Buster
will meet on his show — “Divorced,
conventionally married, a Greek
Orthodox family in Chicago, funda-
mentalist Christian, Muslim, Jewish,
inner city, farm, a Mormon family in
Utah, children living with grandpar-
ents, and, in one episode, five chil-
dren sharing a trailer bedroom in
Virginia” — bring up difficult issues
to talk about with our two young
children. I could choose to react
from a place of FEAR and try to
shelter my children OR I could use
each particularepisode as an oppor-
tunity to teach my children about
our family values and to respect dif-
ferences in other people. 
Perhaps the parents that
“would not want their young chil-
dren exposed to the lifestyles por-
trayed in the episode” (according to
Margaret Spellings) could take my
advice and use the Buster
“Sugartime” episode to teach their
children about their own family val-
ues.  Their kids  could see _
whichchildren they will never be
allowed to play with and which par-
ents are deviant. They could s-tart
making plans around how to convert
the poor souls on their TV set and
learn how to protect themselves
from being “recruited” into a gay

lifestyle. The parents could explain
to their‘ children in a calm but firm
voice that if they ever identified
themselves as gay, lesbian or trans-
gender they would be banished from
the loving arms of their family and
doomed to eternal damnation. Talk
about a teachable momentl!

As for me and my family,
we will continue to choose love and

information over fear and ignorance. .

Amy Bielawski-Branch
Burlington

V Cheese Thanks

Your piece on the cheesemakers was
riveting, Euan (OIT M , February,
2005)! I’d been wanting to know
more about them,and now I do.

Alison Bechdel
Bolton

Keep 135 Pearl Alive

Living in Fairlee, Vermont, I tend to
get worn down with the everyday
hassle of beinga minority in a
straight world. I find that a trip to
“The Pearl” in Burlington lifts my
spirits and gives me strength to face
everyday life as a gay man.
I received an email last

month that this great outlet of mine
has a limited future. It is on the mar-

ket and the new owners will proba-
bly not open it as a diverse estab-
lishment. As a group we can keep
these doors open. All it will take is a
trip to its doors and have a great
time, as my husband and I always
have when we go there. It has
always been a diverse group of peo-
ple, the way life should be. Bush is
trying to take manythings from us,
and do we want this to be one of
them? With the staggering economy

, and the no smoking ban in

Burlington. These are small prices to
pay so we can be ourselves and
enjoy our lives as we should. Don't

‘let laws and this administration take

this from us.

I plan to be making more
trips to “The Pearl,” if not for just to
enjoy myself, which I do everytime
I go. But to keep something alive
that means so much to me.

Timothy Pyer
Fairlee

Apparently the email campaign and
our story have had their intended
result. A recent email from Robert
Toms and Craig Mitchell said the
response has been “inspiring.” The
traffic through the doors at 135
Pearl has increased alongwith the
influx of ideas for how to keep the

business afloat. Two events are com-
ing up this month: a tsunami relief
punk rock concert on the 15th and
an erotic fetish party on the 19th.

‘The two entrepreneurs send their

thanks to everyone who has helped.
— Ed. '

Cook Is Hot
I never write letters to the editor, but
I had to write about this. THANK
YOU for printing this article (“Here
We go Again,” by Paul Cook,
February, 2005 0ITM)! Mr. Cook’s
warnings cannot be repeated often
enough. We live in very dangerous
times, and what is perhaps most
frightening is that no one seems to
recognize the danger.

Again, thank you for your
courage in printing this article.

Amy Elizabeth Paluch Epton ‘
via the Internet V

 

At Witt’s End -

Leah Wittenberg

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