Trans Info Besides IFGE there is The National Center for Trangender Equality — lots of info on an online newsletter. .I’m not sure if it would be of interest but Helen Boyd, author of My Husband Betty, is coming to The New York State Museum auditorium Nov. 12 at 7 pm. She was a nominee for the 2005 Lambda Literary award. Her message res- onates with all people on the trangendered spectrum. Beverly Lane Via the Internet Judging Leahy’s Politics Senator Leahy of Vermont has announced before voting that he will vote for Judge Roberts to be named to the Supreme Court of the United States Judge Roberts avoid- ed answering many of the ques- tions put to him by the Judicial Committee by saying that he did not want to comment on any cases a that may come before the Supreme Courtwhile he is on it. He didn’t mention, nor appar- ently has Leahy mentioned or At Witt’s End asked about Judge Roberts’ involvement with a case he judged as part of an appellate panel. The case regarded the inmates at the Guantanamo facil- ity. After the appellate panel overturned a judge’s verdict that military needs to court—martial the inmates if they are prisoners of war or try them in civilian court if they are not the case was appealed. It was appealed to tlie Supreme Court where it appears that Judge Roberts will need to rule on whether or not to over- turn his own overturning of another judge’s decision. But that’s not all. It _doesn’t. seem to bother Senator Leahy that Judge Roberts worked close- ly with the meddling Kenneth Starr. The only reason that Senator Leahy hasn’t spoken about these items must be politi- cal. As things go in Washington perhaps the President promised Senator Leahy he would get a more reasonable choice to replace Sandra Day O’Connor. But why is Senator Leahy making a deal about his personal politics? He was voted in to Leah Wittenberg ind-the Balance serve Vermont. When the time came for action he caved in. Alfred Brock V Canton, M1 N0 Stereotype Just read your article about the gay stereotype (OIT M August, 2000, “Books and Their Covers: Examining the Gay Stereotype” by Larry Rudiger, via our online archive), and I must admit that although it striked on some strings, being gay does not take away the ' masculinity; neither [does] being gay add effeminate behavior. What is apparent is- just a man liking/loving another man. I have a partner for over three years and we are both rather emotional but not in any way effeminate. And the favorite , quote from a friend is if “I want- ed a woman I would get a woman.” Men can be sensitive and yet be masculine. I think the definition of mas- culinity‘ gets a knee jerk reaction from the masses when they see an otherwise masculine or straight looking man kissing another guy. There is this sense of hysteria, an overwhelming sense of disgust for such “abnor- mal or deviant” behavior. I think there are harsher things in this society than two men kissing that ought to raise more eyebrows. But we wrap ourselves in this notion of what a man must be and we seldom look the other way to perhaps considerthat there maybe alternatives to this otherwise obvious definition. Just like every straight man is not macho and a man’s man, every gay man is not effeminate either. In fact a lot of gay men that I run into would be consid- ered straight by every scale. So then what makes a man masculine? Is being able to bed numerous women somehow induc[ing] this macho gene into every man that then raises their standing in the straight society? Or is every gay man going to be looked with disgust because he is gay -and hence not masculine? Why do we hold such stereo- types when so many of us do not fit the mold? I Isaac Asimov San Francisco, CA Isaac Asimov is writing under a pseudonym for reasons he kept to himself. 2 Good Ad . I am _writing this letter to anyone needing good advertising. I have been advertising with Out in the Mountains for a year now. I have found many in our community want to support our businesses. . In my case I remodel homes, and clients tell me they enjoy know- ing who. they have in their most private part of their life makes them feel safer. Some just like supporting each other._I had a ' client who needed emergency work on their home but was too afraid to call just anyone out of fear. For three years she risked injury to herself and more expense to her home from lack of attention to this problem. My point is, not only does it make good business sense to advertise in this newspaper, it also gives some living in fear a safe place they can call to get _ services that some of us take for granted. I don’t advertise much, but ?I find my return for my investment in Out In The Mountains gives me a better return than any other media I have used. It only makes sense. Our community in Vermontis a tight—knit one. Give people a place they feel safe. Give our community unity by supporting eachother. Eighty percent of my business is GLBT clients. Most of which found me in this news- paper. When IBM and many other large corporations are find- ing business sense in catering to diversity, it only makes sense for V those in these groups to target our market as well. Do some- thing great for your business ' while strengthening our commu- nity. No one paid me for this let- ter nor provoked me to write this. I just wanted to share my experience as an advertiser to others in my community and our allies because if we share what works, we as a glbt community all make out. April Villemaire, President April’s Home Improvement, Inc. April Villemaire is a member of the Mountain Pride Media Board of Directors. i letters Misunderstanding? Thanks so much for your contin- uing hard work to provide the Veront community with a high quality publication focused on H- the glbtq community. We’re lucky to have Out in the Mountains. V Thanks for your recent article covering UVM’s recognition of a Canadian civil marriage between two Vermont men (“UVM Recognizes Canadian Marriage,” OITM October, 2005). I’m afraid I may have been misunderstood, and I apol- _ ogize for my lack of clarity. V The article implies that UVM’s position is at odds with public positions taken by our attorney general. That’s not my understanding of ourattorney general‘s position. When_asked what I would say if our attorney general did take a position counter to UVM’s, I said, “He would be positioning . himself outside the mainstream.” The way the article reads, it sug- gests that our attorney general ' [William Sorrell] has actually taken such a position — and I am not aware that he has — and that I said he is, in fact, positioning himself outside the mainstream. I don’t believe that to be the » case. I am anxious to clear up. the record on this point. Thanks much. Beth Robinson Langrock Sperry & Wool I apologizefor not appreciating or communicating clearly the nuances, and thanks for the detailed explanation. - Ed. Correction Last month an ad (fully labeled as a paid advertisement) was placed directly under the news header on page 2 in error. While it was clear that it was advertis- ing. the header should have been moved to prevent any confusion.