AprE’s Home hiprovement Good legal advice can make all the difference. V Langrock Sperry & Wool offers the services of 22 lawyers with over 300 years combined experience in all areas of the law — including two lesbian attorneys with special expertise serving the legal needs I of the g/l/b/t/q community. SUSAN MURRAY &‘BETH ROBINSON With offices in Middlebury and Burlington Middlebury (802) 388-6356 Burlington (802) 864-0217 smurray@langrock.com brobinson@l_angrock.com Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW iews: EF|LE4LESS Tax preparation. _ ElC filing. Act 60/Renters rebate, instant refund loans, "' Quick turnaround, best prices. Experienced with Civil U nion No extra charge for extra paperwork Call Jeff Towsley 644-6680 or 238-5454 AprilViIlemaire, Owner 1o1,WestMi1iaon Road #65 Milton, VT 05468 802. 310. 7579 Apr-i]shomerepair@aol.eom 27 Years Experience Fully Insured Illlllllllsis Wnrlis iierni siiminmn. mum llilllnotllerafllst 802-345-2948’ or 453-5411‘ Sleep better, Lose Weight, Conquer Fears and Phobias, Control Habits, Managevstress Yes, She Is The phone was ringing when I walked into my house. I had barely said “Hello” when the voice started screaming. “Oh my , God! Oh my God! Are you watch- ing this?” “Watching what?” “The T.V.!! Oh my God, don’t you have it on?” Visions of 9/ ll exploded in my head as I scrambled for the remote. “Hurry up, hurry up," the voice implored, “Channel 9!” My fumbling fingers punched in the number. And there was Melissa Etheridge, bald, beautiful, and singing the hell out of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” Despite my best efforts to butch it out, my eyes filled up as the rock icon shared her vulnerabil- ity and strength with all lesbians who, like her, are living with can- cer. But these weren’t just tears of joy for one woman’s selfless act. The day before I had been to a memorial service for yet another dear friend who" died from cancer. I cried for her and her partner of 25 years — and for all those we have lost to this devastating disease. Melissa Etheric_1ge’s appearance at the 2005 Grammies was a revolutionary moment in les- bian health. In the flash of a paparazzo’s camera, Melissa and her partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels, accomplished what lesbian health activists have been trying to do for decades: Get the mainstream media to say the words “lesbian” and “cancer” in the same sentence, and get lesbians to focus on an issue of - tremendous importance to their own health and well being. What little research there . is shows that lesbians may be at 4 higher risk for certain types of can- cer. Lesbians also face serious bar- riers to receiving cancer screening and care because of real and per- ceived discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender expres- sion. These barriers include less access to health insurance (lesbians Since the Grammies, my e-mail has been filled with mes- sages from women for whom, as one wrote, “Melissa just opened a huge closet door in my life.” The comments range from deeply poignant (“I just wish Linda could have been here to see it with me. She loved Melissa so much”.) to fiercely empowered (“I’m not wear- ing my wig to work today — Bald is beautifull”) Even more wonderful was the number of calls and emails asking for information about cancer. Asking for referrals to lesbian- friendly doctors. Asking how they could help lesbians with cancer. All because Melissa Etheridge had the courage to say, “Yes, I am.” Yes, she is a lesbian. And, yes, she is a lesbian with cancer. V What words can describe someone who has impacted lesbian In the flash .of a paparazzo’s camera, Melissa got the mainstream media to say the words “lesbian” and “cancer” in the same sentence. can’t get married and very few workplaces offer domestic partner- ship benefits), lack of lesbian- focused health education programs, and heterosexism/homophobia among health care providers and their staffs. As a result, lesbians often don’t get diagnosed until their cancer is more advanced. Melissa Etheridge is helping to change all that. health as much as Melissa has? Hero? Role model? Inspiration? Yes, she is. V Kathleen DeBold is the Executive Director of the Mautner Project, the national lesbian health organization (www.mautner.org). YOUR SHOPPING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Log onto www.MountainPrideMedia.or and shop to your hearts content knowing that a portion of each sale is donated back to MPM! On our affiliates page you'll find great Vermont businesses: Arcobaleno | Gardener's Supply Company | New Victoria Publishers 1 The Vermont Country Store I Vermont Teddy Bear Company AND: Alyson Adventures I Blue Door Collection | BuyGay.com IA Different Light Bookstore | GiveAnything.com | Grower Flowers l iGive.com | NetFlix.com l 10% Productions | TLA Video & Books | Wolfe Video And of course our own‘ FABULOUS MPM Merchandise!