BUILDING COMMUNITY

Queer Social Space in the Making

BY JEN BERGER. LIZ BLOCKER AND CONNIE BEAL

“On the night that Pearls closed
I danced my heart out until
the very last minute when they
stopped the music and turned
the lights on. I went from hav-
ing the best night of my life, to
sadness wondering what would
become of the queer commu-

nity... "
Concerned Community
Member, Burlington

The above statement about the
future of the queer community
gave voice to concerns on many
of our minds, and has become
the catalyst for much discussion
Within our community. We all
feel the gap in our social lives,
and our concerns are growing
as we deal with the aftermath of
having had something cherished
- and, as many feel, essential - re-

moved from our community.
After the doors closed at Ver-
mont's last queer bars (Shooka
Dooka’s in Rutland and 135 Pearl
in Burlington), a small group of
community organizers began a
series of conversations about
what it means to have a very
real absence of openly queer
social space, and the potential
possibilities for Vermont’s queer
community. The concern over
the lack of public visibility of
the queer community, as well as
issues of safety, incited further
discussion. On Saturday, July
2nd, activists met at the R.U.1.2?
Queer Community Center in
Burlington to talk about the lack
of public queer nightspots and
queer .public space in Vermont.
After much discussion, we real-
ized we needed input and feed-

 

back from more members of the

-queer community. At the Ver-

mont Pride celebration on July
8th, a survey was distributed
amongst the crowd in Battery
Park, allowing the larger voice
of the queer and allied commu-
nity to be heard.

While levels of passion and

I dedication Varied among the 30

surveys collected, not a single
respondent said there wasn't a
need for a queer social space.
R.U.l.2? and other places like
it are essential for information,
education, community and peer
support, and social services, but
a queer social scene serves an-
other purpose entirely.

Here are some of the thoughts
community members shared

CONTINUED ON P.5 -)

 

BUILDING COMMUNITY

-Faerie Camp Destiny Building Update

GRAFTON - Faerie Camp Destiny,
New England’s first Radical Faerie
sanctuary, which was formed in
1994, is in the process of building
its camp kitchen. Destiny bought
land in southern Vermont in 1997
and now owns 166 acres. After
delays in permitting and this sum-
mer's amazing rains, Destiny is
ready to move ahead! ,
Destiny finalized changes for
a new gathering kitchen, bath
facilities and small cabins for a
caretaker and folks with mobil-
ity issues. Now that things are
finally drying out, we’re looking
for folks with an interest in help-

ing out to join us in a traditional‘

“barn raising” with an ecologi-
cal twist. Destiny’s kitchen will
be built using timber framing
techniques along with strawbale
walls. But before we can lay the
foundation, We need to find a
licensed plumber and electri-
cian to lay in these services. If
you know anyone who might be
interested in helping or if you
know GLBT friendly folks in-
terested in alternative building
practices let us know.

We are aiming to lay the foun-
dation in August so we can start
work on framing and walling
part of the building before win-
ter. So ideally, we‘ll be able to

PHOTO: MA BUCY

  

Faeries posing with freshly milled timbers for the new construction

find an electrician and plumber
to work with beforehand. We'd
also love to hear from other
folks interested in helping with
this building project.

If you'd like to get involved with-
Destiny in general, we are having

our annual Lammas gathering July
18 -August 6.

For more information, please
contact Destiny at info@faer-
iecampdestiny.org or see our
website at faeriecampdestiny.
org.V

AUGUST zoos I uut_in-.tlIemuuntn_ins, 3

   
 
   

t*?e"“‘°‘flafi°" "'efi9l1i91"’ 
gander
°°’hes -to \Ier~‘m°n’F.’

“My fermentation fetish grew out of my
overlapping interests in cooking, nutrition and
gardening. I am also an herbalist and an activist
and a writer :nd a builder and a craltspcrson and
o bicyclist and many other things: a generalist.

I am a native of New York City, a graduate of
Brown University and a retired policy wonk.
Ten years ago I moved from New York to Shor
Mi iuntain Sanctuary, in queer intentional
community deep in the wooded hills of
Tennessee. I have AIDS and consider lermented
foods on important part of my healing."

- http://www.wildfcrmentationxom -

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