No Campaign for   

Plattsburgh — Voters recently defeated a ref- '
erendum to overturn Plattsburgh's term limit
law, but that had no impact on two-term a
Mayor Dan Stewart's plans.

“When it comes to the term limit issue, I
felt I had to let the public know. before the
vote that no matter the outcome, I would not
be seeking another term as mayor,” Stewart
said. So what is in the mayor’s future?

“Stay tuned,” Stewart replied. “I am a
believer that when one door closes another
opens andthat you make that choice when it
occurs. I see myself staying active in politics
if possible, but I would not rule out a move to
the private sector.”

In December Stewart denied rumors that
he would run for state Assembly. The openly
gay politician had not at press time
announced any other plans. V

 .‘‘-.‘.'-7:‘l:« :' :2.

E.D. Returns
to Vermont

WASHINGTON, DC — Terje
Anderson, once 21 Burlington
resident and AIDS activist, is
leaving the National Association
of People With AIDS as of _
January 1 after nearly six years
as executive director.

Anderson said in an interview
that there was no crisis, it was
just time to relax and work on
the bigger picture, without the
day—to—day concerns of manag-
ing a multi—million—dollar
agency. “I’ve been working on
AIDS for about 20 years,” he
remarked, including a stint as‘
director of Vermont CARES.
“It’s time to slow down.”

He has had a few health con-
cerns this year, he added.

Anderson adrrlitted that he

 

  

. sometimes felt. ‘ffineffiective” in

Ethel capital, “gi"ve'nTtlie. political
realities here right now.” He
hopes to have time to write and

‘ do some public speaking on the

cause he is still passionate about.

“I have never had, and will
probably never again have, a
better job than ‘this. Working at
NAPWA I have had the opportu-
nity to play a leadership roleon
the issues that matter most to me
as a person living with
HIV/AIDS,” Anderson wrote in
the official announcement of his
departure.

“In the AIDS community, we
often talkvabout the need to
make way for new, fresh leader-
ship. I hope my departure helps
that happen here at NAPWA and
in the entire AIDS community,”
he wrote.

Anderson is moving back to
Vermont with his dog Rosa this
month. He will be living in
Fairfax, in Franklin County. V

Repeating

MONTPELIER — The Vermont
legislature got an incomplete
for a’ grade on its efforts toward
equality at the end of the first
session of the biennium: H.478,
the gender identity and expres-
sion nondiscrimination bill,
remained on the wall of the
House Judiciary Committee
meeting room. TransAction, an

A ad hoc coalition of community

members and organizations that
supports passage of the bill,
hopes to change that this year.
H.478 is the third bill intro-
duced in the last 6 years to add
gender identity and expression

. to the list of protected cate-

gories in five areas of state law:
-employment, public accommo— I
dation, banking and credit,
housing, and education.
Vermont currently includes gen-
der identity and expression only
in its hate crimes law.
Advocates and transgender

activists _have been frustrated
that the bill sat in committee,
even though a majority of the
committee’s members are
cosponsors of the bill and
despite one hearing, at which
transman and Vermont State
Employees Association lawyer
Jes Kraus testified,‘ along with
Supporters from R.U.1.2? Queer
Community Center and

~‘1'rans 101

Outright Vermont.

“Anytime a bill that’s impor-
tant to its supporters 'doesn’t
pass, there’s bound to be some
frustration,” Kraus said in an
interview. “We don’t believe
there’s been any concerted
effort by [House Judiciary
Committee Chairman] Bill
[Lippert, D—Hinesburg] to put it
off or delay it.”,He said he rec-
ognized that Lippert’s commit-
tee had been hit with an “unex-
pected” number of “big-ticket
items.” .

Lippert, in a separate inter-
view,‘ said he was “pleased with
the way [H.478 is] moving for-
ward.” He said the bill had
strong support “generally
among advocates and grass-
roots folks I’m in touch with.”

Asked whether the rumored
introduction of a marriage
equality bill might overshadow
the gender identity _bill, Lippert
said, “My most important prior-
ity for the lgbt community is
the gender identity bill. If a
marriage bill is introduced, it
won’t shift my priority. I am
committed to pursing its pas-
sage actively and effectively
before shifting significant ener-
gy to any other issue, including
marriage.”

Lippert alsonoted that “key

people” active in advocating
marriage equality are also
actively supporting the gender
identity nondiscrimination bill,
H.478.

Kraus echoed that observa-
tion and denied there would be
any tension over the introduc-
tion of a same—sex marriage bill
in the legislature this session.
“We are natural allies,” he said.
“It’s the same principles in both
bills. No matter whether it’s
about race, marriage, or gender
identity; all the same protections
should be in place.”

Kraus will likely be among
those testifying for the bill, as
he did last session. He considers
himself lucky — and atypical —
in having support at his work-
place for his gender change.

Kraus said that the support
of business owners would also
carry weight with legislators.

» He anticipated that any opposi-

tion might surface on behalf of
business owners and employers,
opposition along the lines of
“Does this mean guys can come
to work in dresses?”
Kraus said that it will be

important for community mem-
bers to show support for the bill

. by contacting legislators as soon 1

as testimony is scheduled. “‘It’s
particularly important for people
outside Chittenden and
Washington counties to contact
their legislators,” he said. “We’d
also like to have a show of sup-
port on the floor of the House
on the day of the first vote.” V

Looking Back

WASHINGTON — Gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender
(GLBT) Americans scored big
wins in 2005, according to a new
report from the Human Rights
Campaign. The report —
Equality from State to State:
GLBT Americans and State ,
Legislation 2005 — details
record-setting and historic state
legislation affecting the GLBT
community over the past year.

“The road has potholes but
equality is on the horizon,” said
Human Rights Campaign
President Joe Solmonese. “This,
report-proves that as the national
conversation over equality con-
tinues, Americans come down
on the side of fairness. When the
fog of divisive politics recedes,
the real stories emerge of hard-
working GLBT Americans seek-
ing equality wins.”

According to the report, more
state anti—discrimination bills
passed in 2005 than in any other
year. Eleven bills were passed in
state legislatures that established
or strengthened statewide anti-
discrimination protections for
the GLBT community.

In 2004, 13 states amended
their constitutions to ban same
sex couples from gaining access
to the protections and responsi-
bilities of marriage. In 2005, 15
states defeated similar attempts
to write discrimination into their
state constitutions. Two addition-
al states were seen as likely to

on Victories

defeat marriage amendments
before the year ended.
California became the first

state ever to pass a bill to extend
the freedom to marry to same-
sex couples this year.
Unfortunately Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed
this important legislation.
Another historic milestone
occurred in Connecticut, where
the legislature instituted civil
unions to provide state-level
rights and responsibilities to
same—sex couples. That bill was

signed by the state’s Republican '

Governor Jodi Rell.

Maryland and Colorado
became the ninth and tenth states
to include gender identity and
expression, and the 30th and

“ 31st states to include sexual ori-

entation in their hate crime laws.
Again, both bills became law
under the states’ Republican
governors.

“The tremendous progress
we’ve seen crosses party lines
and proves fairness need not
have partisan boundaries,”
declared Solmonese.

“Until every state treats its
gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-
gender citizens with dignity,
respect and equality under the -
law, our work as a community
will not be done,” added
Solmonese. ‘

Thefull report is available
online at www.hrc.org/
StateLegReport. V