WILB QUARTO HQ 75 .0971 Inthe IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS VERMONT'S VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, J BISEXUAL&TRANSGENDERCOMMUN|TYS|NCE 1985 " - H’ - ~" 01 TM has meant so much to me. During my years of coming out. It made me know that I was part of something great. I felt so alone then. No one understood me. Family members, friends and many others. I was so proud to deliver these papers. Feeling that maybe I was helping some- one else who felt lonely. I hope OI TM continues for many years. It has made me _. realize that there ' 1s a community ut there for me. I ust wanted to say ' thank you for such . a fantastic paper. It is a paper that I am proud of. Keep up the great work. . TIMOTHY PYER, THE UPPER VALLEY " living in Vermont, very much out of a very eep, dark closet. My fam- y and I have skied at Mad iver Glen for 45 years, driv- ing up from New Jersey as many as 12 weekends every. winter. I also spent at least a week in Vermont every summer for as many years. I discovered Out In The Mountains at a bookstore one day early in its publica- tion history. I couldn't wonderful resource, which I hid in my suit- case and read in privacy at home in New Jersey. After that I looked ' for the news- paper when- ever I was here and hid it away like forbidden chocolate! During the 18 months before we moved to Vermont I found myself in therapy for the first time in my life. Through that experience I finally gave myself “permission” to consider coming out as a lesbian and finding a life true to my real self. However Top to bottom: the crew from Safespace; Howard Dean, Jason Lorber & Bill Lippert, June 2004; Peggy Luhrs; Nicki 8: Marina of The Barony, 2003; Orb Weaver Farm cheesemak- 'ers; Dan Berns & Jay Schuster; Deb Lashman. ears actually facing my husband of 40 years and our three adult children with this infomiation was terrifying. I became a faith- ful reader of OI TM as soon as we moved. At that time Chris Leslie was writing the spiritual column. At the end of her col- umn, included with her contact info, was the statement that she was counseling individuals and couples with Spiritual and gender issues. I called, made an appointment, and the rest is his- tory. 01 TM also introduced me to Christ Church Presbyterian. With Chris's encouragement, Ibegan to attend services and met the most supportive and loving group of people I have ever encountered. Because I had such positive counsel and such warm, understanding accep- tance from my church, I found the strength to come out and have never regretted the deci- sion. Now my partner and I are subscribers of O1 TM and still find each issue a fresh source of support, information and com- munity. Happy Birthday, OI TM , I am grateful! MARSHA BANCROFT * WORCESTER Curt and I found Out in the Mountains on our first visit to Vermont, which was to have our civil union. During that visit we spent four days, touring much of the state. Vermont is a tre- mendous place. We continued to return to Vermont during each of our vacations and kept in touch with what was going on in the community, between visits, by hitting the 01 TM web site. We found our dream home in South Burlington and, sooner than we had planned to buy a house in Vermont, bought it. Slowly but surely we are moving the geographic center of our lives to Vermont. Now, as subscribers to 01 TM, ‘ we keep up-to—date with the news in the community. The thing we like most about OITMis that it actually contains news about Ver- mont. The GLBT paper we have accessto in Dallas has a much larger circulation but contains much less actual news. We enjoy reading the editorial comments as well as the views expressed in the letters to the editor. When we are 01 TM looks b as 7 decades of community- i,,,,,,, ,,e.,e.s,,,,quee,,, g building in Vermont at our house in South Burlington we make it a point to patronize advertisers in OI TM. We believe strongly in the mission of Moun- tain Pride Media and are delighted to be able to help with making a donation to MPM's further suc- cess. We appreciate MPM. MARK S. WESTERGARD 8: CURT R. MOODY DALLAS, TX 8: SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT Every time I read Out in the Mountains, I feel like I'm hold- ing the precious glue that holds our diverse community together. Many thanks to all who have made it happen over the past 20 years, issue by issue! JOHN CRANE NORWICH, VT When I flrst came to Vermont . 13 years ago, OITM was a great roadmap to the GLBT com- munity around the state. In the years since, it has become much more than that. It has become a character as alive and as impor- tant to me as any friend I know. I look forward each month to "my" 01 TM to keep up on events that affect my life and the lives of my friends, I inevitably learn something from the dia- logue I find in the letters to the editor, and I have cherished the thoughtful reflection put into the editorials of Euan Bear and her predecessors along the way. 01 TM helps to shape my political decisions and it some- times leaves me aghast when I read how even today we contin- ue to fight amongst ourselves as , much as we flght against those who oppress us, but it would not be honest of OITM to ignore our inner community struggles and it says a great deal about the integrity of the paper that it remains willing to look at all sides and not just the most ad- vantageous side of an argument within our culture to present to the world. 01 TM is about diversity, and it truly offers a forum for any ' number of voices and opinions within the many layers of the souffle that represent the larger GLBT community. Whether part of the youth, elder, men, womyn, transgendered, leather, drag, faerie, HIV, or whatever else ack “communi1y" or any combina- tion‘ of the above, we have all been embraced and made stron- ger because of the hard work of the people who have been deter- mined enough to keep putting this paper out every month for the past twenty years. “Thank you" hardly seems an adequate response, but I offer: it to all of you at OITM present and past. GRACE NOBLE COLCHESTER I have in Westrninster, Vermont and} believe it or not, it was what OITM’ didn-‘t havethat inspired me to get more involved in on community The Calendar section» of OITM never has any eventsllstxadi for Southern Ver- mom other that the Brattleboro AIDB1 project needle exchange on ’l!'uesday- nights. Ugh! How paillhetiircl‘ Now: that the only Gary has in: our county is closed Icanft standiby andwatch any longer. I-am now directly in- vollved‘? in helping‘ get a Windham County LGBTQA center started in Bram1l‘eboro* (More news to come onthall). So thanksfor that un- intentional inspiration. ADRIENNE DEGUEVARA WESTMINSTER Here’s why OITM means so much to me: When I flrst moved to Ver- mont, Out im, the Mmmtaéns was a beacon, a guide, a buoy, a safety net. B was really im- pressed: than such a snail state woulizi have a- whole newspaper dedicated to a community I cared‘ somuch about, and I med: it toaccess queer events, meet new friends, and get my first real job inthe community. The breadth and‘ depth of topics was impressive, and it was nice to have a link to national and international causes right in my backyard. For someonejust get- ting on his feet, such a resource was crucial. Out in the Moun- tains retains a tenor and mood that I respect, and compared to other queer papers around the nation, it proves itself a great balance of intellect, humor, ~ and integrity. Congratulations to OI TM and Mountain Pride Media for what they’ve accom- § CONTINUED ON P.‘|5