as out in the miiiintiilns I MAY 2006 l MOUNTAINPR|DEMED|A.ORG tnmmunitvtumpuss 5 Rainbow ‘Graduation at UVM is May 4th BURLINGTON - The annual UVM Rainbow Graduation Ceremony will honor LGBTTQA students, faculty and staff at the event from 4 to 6 PM, Thursday, May 4th, at Billings Student Center on campus. Admission is free. Please RSVP by calling 802-656-1762, or by emailing Eli Clare at eclare@uvm.edu. ‘ Northeast Kingdom Rainbow Film Festival ST. JOHNSBURY - Running from May 5-11, the Northeast Kingdom Rainbow Film Festival will present nine films over seven nights exploring a variety of alternative lifestyle issues and experiences. Films featured in the series include Transamerica, Break- fast on Pluto, Summer Storm, Unveiled, Floored by Love, and Loggerheads. A series of shorts entitled The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival will also play. Two acclaimed documenta- ries are scheduled. On opening night, May 5th, Vermont director, John Scagliotti will present his documentary Dangerous Living and lead a discussion after the screening. Michael Horvat’s acclaimed We Are Dad tells the struggle of 2 white HIV negative gay men and their family of 5 I kids as they try for adoption. The festival is made possible by a generous grant from The Samara Foundation and sponsor- ship of here! Network. Tickets to the films are $5. FMI call Cata- mount Arts at (802) 748-2600. Clarina Howard Nichols Center Volunteer Training MORRISVILLE - This training is free and open to the public, and is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about domestic vio- lence and sexual assault. There are many_volunteer opportuni- ties here and we will do our best to match your interests with the needs of the shelter. We are looking for compassionate individuals of all backgrounds and abilities who are willing to give their time to support a great cause! WHEN: May 9,11,16, 18, 23, and 25 from 6-9 PM. Trainees must attend all sessions to receive a "crisis worker" certificate. WHERE: People's Academy‘ High School, Morrisville For more information or to sign up, please contact Shannon at 888-2584. 4th Annual Walk for Love WILLIAMSTOWN - Help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and funds for Chrysalis Community at the 4th Annual Walk for Love. The benefit will take place at noon on Saturday, May 6th on the Williams College Campus. To register for the walk or for more information visit wvvw. chrysa|iscommunity.org or call 802-823-9309. Chrysalis is an environment for people living with HIV/AIDS to learn and practice holistic methods for healing the mind, body and spirit. This annual walkathon hopes to unite local community members in solidarity with those living with HIV/AIDS. Registration begins at Noon at Poker Flats on the Williams College Campus in Williamstown, followed by a kickoff ceremony at 12:30 pm. There will be a mini- mum entrance fee of $5, or $15 to receive a commemorative t-shirt. Walkers are encouraged to raise donations ahead of time from family and friends by downloading a walker form from the Chrysalis website (wvvw.chrysaliscommunity. org) or picking one up from select Williamstown and North Adams businesses. Prizes will be given by open drawing and to the top fundraisers. Food and refresh- ments will be provided through- out the day. Directions to Poker Flats: From Route 2 in Williamstown, turn right onto Southworth Street. Turn left onto Lynde Lane ' and make a right onto Mission Park Drive. Security officers will direct walkers to parking. Diana Jones at 135 Pearl on May 11th BURLINGTON & MONTPELIER - Come _by 135 Pearl in Burlington to hear singer/songwriter Diana Jones, who will perform at 8 PM on Thursday, May 11th. Cover charge is $10. Jones, who is on tour from her home in Nashville, , is listed as #4 on Folk Radio List charts with her song Pretty Girl at #1 on the chart. Jones will also play the following evening, Friday, May 12th, in Montpelier, at the Lang- don Street Cafe at 8 pm. Volunteers Wanted for Women Helping Battered Women BURLINGTON - Do you believe women and children should live a life free from violence and abuse? If so, please consider working as a volunteer and help make a difference in your com- munity! Women Helping Bat- tered Women is currently seek- ing community volunteers for all programs. Applications are now being accepted for our May Volunteer Training. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 12th. For an application or for more information, please call 658-3131 or go to our website at www.whbw.org. Rosie O'Donnell Hosts ’'In the life" PUBLIC TELEVISION - Rosie O'Donnell, Emmy-award winning talk show host and mother of four, just completed taping an episode for America's monthly Gay and Lesbian newsmagazine on public television, In the Life. Ms. O'Donnell hosts Family Ties, this month's episode that ex- plores the diverse and complex world of family within the LGBT "community. O'Donnell says of her own family experience, "Kelly and I are constantly reminded as we raise our two sons and two daughters that the joys, chal- lenges and frustrations of family life are universal.” For night owls, seeing In the Life is not a problem. It airs on Ch. 33 VPT in Burlington at 11:35 p.m. on Sunday, May 14th. The show will also air on Dur- ham, New Hampshire's public television station WENH at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 7th. AIDS Project of Southern Vermont to hold 19th Annual Walk for Life BRATTLEBORO - Please join us on Saturday, May 20th for the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont's 19th Annual Walk for Life. To honor and support our community's actions in fighting the worldwide AIDS epidemic, we will gather at the Centre Congregational Church on Main Street at 10:00 am and walk up Main Street to the Brattleboro Town Common in remem- brance of all those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. The program on the Common will include music, speakers, and a welcoming noontime meal. The AIDS Project is privileged this year to welcome Sondra E. Solomon, Ph.D, as speaker for the Walk. Professor Solomon, from the University of Vermont's Department of Psychology, re- cently has completed a study of HIV-related stigma in Vermont. The program will conclude with the reading of the names of loved ones from our community who have died from AIDS in the last 19 years. A free lunch will be served at noon after the program. Come and be part of this event by collecting pledges and walking, by sponsoring a walker, or by joining in on Saturday morning. The AIDS Walk is an opportunity for you to show support for our vigorous fight against AIDS. The Project encourages those who partici- pate in the Walk to seek pledge sponsors for their effort. Pledge sheets are available online at our website, wvvw.A|DSProjectSouth- ernVermont.org or call (802) 254- 8263 or e—mail mff@sover.net for more information. Sign Up for Equal Marriage ON THE WEB - The Mas- sachusetts Supreme Court decision in the Cote-Whitacre case reaffirms the importance of our work to attain full, civil . marriage equality right here in Vermont, and throughout the country. The court's decision reminds us that we cannot rely on courts or legislatures of other states to eliminate the remain- ing discrimination against gay and lesbian couples in Vermont's laws; that's something we must do for ourselves. And we CAN do it. We know from recent polling that forty—two percent of Vermonters support civil marriage equality -for same-sex couples and 11% are leaning that direction. We must reach these supporters to achieve civil marriage equality. Many say, ''I only know the choir, you don't need them." The truth is, they are exactly who we need to reach. You know who supports this issue and you can help us connect with them. Please, go to wvvw.vtfreeto- marry.org to sign on in support of civil marriage equality. You can also send a message to your supportive family, friends and co-worker to ask for their sup- port as well. i ‘ Support civi|'marriage equal- ity today at www.vtfreetomarry. org or call 802.388.2633. Champ Ride is June 3rd FERRISBURGH - Join Vermont CARES for our 6th annual Champ Ride on Saturday, June 3rd. This bicycling fundraiser starts and ends at Kingsland Bay State Park in Ferrisburg, Vermont. Champ Ride is a we||-es- tablished, popular benefit for Vermont CARES that brings the community together for a good cause. Bike enthusiasts cycle a beautiful 12, 25, 50, or 100—mile route along Lake Champlain. All funds raised stay local, and are used to fund our programs for people living with, or at risk of, HIV and AIDS. As a result, your donation goes directly to people affected by this illness. Please contact Peter Jacobsen at 800/649-2437 for more informa- tion, or access our website at http://www.vtcares.org/fundrais- ing/champ.htm. SafeSpace & WRCC Need Support Line Volunteers! BURLINGTON - Are you looking for a unique ongoing volunteer opportunity? Are you passion- ate about anti-violence? Sign up today to become a direct service volunteer with SafeSpace or the Women's Rape Crisis Center. Starting June 11th, SafeSpace and WRCC will be holding a joint volunteer training. SafeSpace is a social change and social service organization working to end physical, sexual, emotional, and hate violence in the lives of LGBTQO Vermont- ers. The Women's Rape Crisis Center works to end all forms of sexual violence. For more information about volunteer opportunities, the upcoming training, or how to be involve - please contact Connie at SafeSpace, 802-863-0003 or Elle at WRCC, 802-864-0555. "Just knowing someone was on the phone, listening, made all the difference" - you can make the difference! Spring Cleaning is Here!! BURLINGTON - SafeSpace is ac- cepting donations of gently used items for the annual "Clean OUT Your CLOSET" Yard Sale, sched- uled for Saturday, June, 10 at the Universalist Unitarian Church lawn in Burlington (9-5pm). All proceeds go to SafeSpace pro- grams and services. Please contact SafeSpace at 802-863-0003 or connie@ safespacevt.org to set up a drop-off/pick-up time. Dona- tions will be accepted through June 9th. Thank you for your support! Items Needed: Furniture,- Clothes, Knick-Knacks, Exercise Equipment, Electronics, Toys, Household Materials, Etc... Lavendar Country and Folk Dance WOODSTOCK, CT - Anyone who loves to socialize with congenial folks but doesn't like spending time in a bar should hasten on down to the Lavender Country and Folk Dance (LCFD) spring camp on May 12-14 in Woodstock, Connecticut. The camp offers contradancing and selected other community dances in a ‘gender-role-free environment.’ No partner or previous experience is required. The LCFD welcomes fun-seeking lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and our straight friends. Dance camp is the perfect place to learn to dance. The atmosphere shares the clean and sometimes rather crunchy granola feel of any contradance (functional shoes are a must), with that special edge ofjoy that flows from a queer event where people are enjoying strutting their real selves. The weekend in May features the trio Spank Me, known for their zippy tunes and irresistible, driving rhythm as well as for their fascination with leopard- I print attire. Three different call- ers will guide dancers through New England contras and squares, English country dances, and Modern Westernfsquares. For details, visit the website (http://www.lcfd.org/lcfd/camp), email camp@lcfd.org, or call 413-548-1097. V