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I PHOTO: PAUL OLSEN

Inthe

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS

VERMONT'S VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN. GAY,
BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Vermont US.
Senate H opefulis

Meet the Gay Press

 .  Tarrant orfiarke toiiliace
' Bernie in).",November I

  

BURLINGTON - One thing independent U.S. Rep.
Bernie Sanders and Republicans Rich Tarrant
and Greg Parke do agree on is that the race to
replace James Jeffords (I) in the U.S. Senate is
the most important race facing Vermonters this
year. While all three hope to replace Jeffords in
Washington DC, they differ on many issues of
concern to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgen-
der Vermonters.

Independent Bernie Sanders has represented
Vermont in the U.S. House of Representatives
since 1991. Prior to his election to Congress, he
was the mayor of Burlington.

In Congress, Sanders garnered 100% positive
ratings from the Washington DC-based Human
Rights Campaign, and a 100% rating from the
AIDS Action Council. His office maintains a writ-
ten nondiscrimination policy including sexual ori-
entation, he is a sponsor of the Employment Non-
discrimination Act (ENDA), and he voted against
the antigay Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

CONTINUED ON P.23 -)

J ohnTracy and MattiDunne Go I
Head to Head in Lt. Gov. Primary

Democrats Both Longtime State Legislators

BY LYNN MCNICOL
emocrats Matt
D Dunne and John
Tracy, both sup-
porters of gay rights in Ver-
mont, will be facing each
other in the September
12th primary. The winner
of that primary will face
the popular Republican
incumbent, Lt. Gov. Brian
Dubie. Both candidates say
they-would take a far more
active role than Dubie has.

The role of lieutenant
governor includes presiding
over the Senate, breaking
tie votes, andvserving in the
absence of the governor.

Matt Dunne, 36; has
lived i.n Hartland in Wind-
sor County most of ’ his
life. Dunne graduated from
Brown University and ran
for the Vermont legislature
a few months later, in the
fall of 1992. While serving
in the House, Durme also
worked for Logic Associ-
ates in Wilder.

In his fourth term as a
state representative, Dunne
became the director of
AmeriCorpsVISTA, a fed-
eral anti-poverty program.
Dunne accepted the posi-
tion, continuing to serve
when George W. Bush took
office. In the aftermath of
the September 11 attacks,
Durme said he was “infu-
riated” that Bush and his
advisors took actions that,
to him, ‘preyed on people's
worst fears. He decided it
was time to come home. In
2002, he ran a successful
race for a seat in the Ver-
mont Senate.

Dunne completed his
second term as senator this
year after announcing his
bid for the lieutenant gov-
emor job in December. Hav-
ing served 11 years in the

_Legjslature, Dunne is espe-

cially proud of programs he
helped create to get young

people involved in legisla-
tion and public policy. One
such program is the UVM
Research Shop in which
students help legislators do
research that helps shape
legislation-.

“I had the extraordi-
nary experience of being

empowered at a young .

age by my home commu-
nity,” Dunne told OITM last
month. “Since that time I've
dedicated my life to doing
the same for others.”

He's enthusiastic about
continuing to help people if
elected as lieutenant gover-
nor this fall.

“What I would love to do
is transform it into an office
of action," he said. Dunne
feels that Dubie follows the
Bush political line, which
has only modest support
in Vermont. For example,
Dunne noted, Dubie is op-
posed to civil unions, op-
posed to women's right to
choose abortion, defends

the administration's refusal‘ - .

to sign the Kyoto protocol
on global warming, and de-
fends wire-tapping of U.S.
citizens without a warrant.

“I believe the values of
Vermont are under attack
by a group of right wing-
ers," Dunne said. He‘ ex-
pressed his frustration as a
legislator serving on the Ap-
propriations Committee at
the damage done by budget
cuts in Washington.

Dunne also votes for
equal rights for the gay, les-
bian, bisexual and transgen-
der communities.

“I was a strong supporter
of the gender identity bill,”
Dunne said, and was “very
disturbed" by Gov. Douglas’
veto of that biH.

Nearly a decade ago, a
friend asked Dunne if he
supported same-sex mar-
riage. He told the friend he
did.

-“All people need to be

equal under the law," Dunne
said. Dunne helped create
the Vermont Film Commis-
sion and is credited with

 

writing the first brownflelds
legislation to recover pol-
luted land. He said the Cata-
mount Health bill, which
will go into effect next year,
“starts to address" the prob-
lem of Vermonters who lack
health insurance or the abil-

.ity to pay for health care.

“I would certainly not
declare victory," he said of
the plan. '

John Tracy, Dunne’s op-
ponent in the Democratic
primary, is also a native Ver-
monter from Springfield. He
announced his candidacy
last month.

After high school, Tracy
enlisted in the U.S. Army
and volunteered for service
in Vietnam because “it was

   
 

the right thing to do." Tracy
returned to Vermont. when
his tour of duty ended in
1972, with a changed opin-

K .

John Tracy (above) and
Matt Dunne (left)'fere

in some weyemoge
ellke than they. ego?"  S V
different: eiifnetlve
Vermonters, both have
served close to A dozen
years In the Legllleture,
both support gey rights,
end both promise, If
elected, to pley e_ for
more ectlve role In

state politics then the
Incumbent, Lt. Gov.
Brien Dubie.

ion of the war and its lead-
ers who “sometimes tell a
different story" from the
real story on the ground.

When he returned, Tracy
worked in construction and
with young people as an
Outreach Director for the
YMCA. He also earned a
political science degree at
UVM, and became a stay-at-
home dad. Tracy coached
youth soccer and basketball
for many years, and served
on the Burlington Water-
front Board. Rep. George
Cross, (D-Winooski) said
Tracy was a “major player"
in minimum wage legisla-
tion and helped create Act

CONTINUED ON R23 -9

. BOOKS: Straight Into Gay America 3 p.17

 

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