VERMONT'S VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY,- BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Inthe mnuntum EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Greg Weaver greg@mountainpridemedia.org EDITOR, Lynn McNicoI editor@rnountainpridemedia.org ART DIRECTOR Don Eggert don@mountainpn'demedia.org OPERATIONS MGR. Greg Thompson opsmgr@mountainpridemedia.org CLASSIFIEDS Greg Thompson classifieds@mountainpridemedia.org CALENDAR Dan Brink calendar@mountainpridernedia.org SOURCE EDITOR Greg Thompson source@mountainpridemedia.org CONTRIBUTORS: Fran Moravcsik, Paul Olsen, Tina , Giangrande, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Jessi Burg, Kim Howard, Leah Wittenberg, Tobias Novak, Pro-Family Pediatricians, Elvis LaCoste, Renee Lang, ND; Mark Melchior, E.J. Haley, The House of LeMay, Mikhael Yowe, Anja Pfeffer, Vlfill Holden, Donna Iverson, Joe Swinyer, Lindsay Cobb, Cynthia Potts, Glo Daley, Stuart Granoff, Alison Bechdel, Glen Hanson, Allan Neuwirth, and Robert Kirby. NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Marketing Co., Inc. (212) 242-6863 MOUNTAIN PRIDE MEDIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brian Cote, Greg Weaver, "Fina Giangrande, Miguel Bemard-Rivera, Kim Howard, Kate Kinney STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of Out In The Mountains [OITM] is to serve as a voice for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and our supporters in Vermont. We wish the newspaper to be a source of information, insight, I and affirmation. We also see OITM as a vehicle for the celebration of the culture and diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and v transgender communities here in Vermont and elsewhere. EDITORIAL POLICY We will consider for publication any material that broadens our understanding of our lifestyles and- of each other. \fiews and opinions appearing in the paper do _ not necessarily represent those of Out In The Mountains. This paper, as a non-profit organization, cannot and_ will not endorse any political candidates. We. reserve the right not to publish any material deemed to be overtly racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, ageist, , classist, xenophobic, or homophobic. Unless othenrvise specified, all submissions of articles, photographs, graphics, and advertisements herein are the property of Mountain Pride Media, Inc. and any re-publication or broadcast without written permission is prohibited. We V are not responsible for the return of unsolicited materials. All contributions are donated to Mountain Pride Media, Inc. for our use including, but not limited to, publishing in print and electronic (Internet, Web, etc.) versions, advertising, marketing, and archival purposes with appropriate attribution to the original author. No assumption should be made about the gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation of any contributor or any person named in these pages. OITM is not responsible beyond the printing of corrections for errors in any submitted materials. OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS (ISSN 1081-5562) is published on the last Wednesday of each month by Mountain Pride Media, Inc. It is printed by BD Press of Fairfax, VT. The paper maintains offices at 34 Elmwood Ave in Burlington, Vermont. The bulk mail subscription rate is $29 per year within the USA. WWW.MOUNTAlNPRIDEMEDIA.ORG is updated to include the current issue of OITM, generally by the 10th of’ each month, in our online archive. OITM is available in alternative formats upon request. OITM is printed on recycled newsprint containing 30% post-consumer and using 100% soy-based inks. PO BOX 1122, Burlington VT 05402 802.861.6486 802.860.0705 (f) editor@mountainpridemedia.org www.mountainpridemedia.org 1 © zoos, Out In The Mountains, AI|'Riights Reserved -.. 6 out in the mountains I SEPTEMBER 2006 I MOUNTAINPRIDEMEDIAORG nil Mountain Pride Media Marches Ahead ountain Pride Media, the publisher of Out in the Mountains, has hired its first executive director in the nonprofits 21-year history. “That just feels really good,” MPM Board of Directors President Brian Cote said. “The board now can focus on what the board should focus on, and the day-to-day work will be handled by a professional.” 0 Greg Weaver, a two-year member of MPM’s board, was appointed as the new fu1l—time execu- tive director for the organization. He began work mid-August. “I think it’s a .good match and I'm really looking forward to work- ing with the paper and with the com- munity,” Greg, 55, said in his first week on the job. Greg, who was born in St. Louis, . has spent the bet-* ter part of his life in the southern United States. Many of his management positions in the financial industry were located in Alabama and Atlanta. Greg moved to Vermont with his partner, Patrick, two years ago. The couple lives in Williston with their cairn terrier, Oskar. Board members acknowledge that hiring a full- time executive director for an organization whose future was called into question earlier this year is a big step. “We have in the past had a 15—hour—a-week opera- tions manager and that has been basically just keep- ing the lights on,” Brian said. “It‘s createda situation where we haven’t been as proactive in reaching out to the community as we could, as proactive in work- ing with our advertisers and increasing our presence in the state." .W1t.hout a full-lime administrator, Brian said, a lot of work fell to the board. When the dwindling number of board members reached two this spring - Brian and Greg - they called a community meeting to discuss the future of the states only media source dedicated to news about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. “It really became apparent that the structure has to change or else MPM isn't going to exist and the paper isn’t going to exist," Brian said. At the community meeting on April 23, Brian said, “we got a clear response that the paper must go on and that MPM must exist in some form or fashion.” The hiring of a full-time Executive Director is one of a series of recent changes for the organization. In the last three months, the size of the board has tri- pled with the addition of four new board members. Greg will remain on the board, and a seventh mem- ber is expectedto be voted in at the board's August ’ meeting, after this edition goes to print. Brian emphasized that Lynn McNicol, editor for six months, has been key to Out in the Mountains moving forward through a time of great transition. “Wéhave every confidence in our editor," Brian said. “Lynn has done just a phenomenal job produc- ing a paper for our community.” . Lynn pointed out that except for the very small - staff, what makes the newspaper a success is all of the work done by volunteers. “It amazes me how this paper takes shape every month with the help of so many people,” Lynn said. She is optimistic about the changes afoot at MPM. “I feel great about the support coming from all the new board members and other volunteers," Lynn said. “Having Greg as our new leader with his back- ground on the board, I think he brings a lot of good experience.” As the new executive director, Greg said he is I think it’s a good match and I’m really looking forward to Working with the paper and with the community. I GREG WEAVER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MPM I most excited about growth" circulation, the Inter- net, and financial stability. He also emphasized the need for continued community involvement. “I think the community as a whole needs to take ownership in the paper by being part of it as a volunteer, as a writer, as an advertiser," Greg said. Brian concurs; and encouraged readers to re- spond to the survey distributed at Pride and includ- ed in the past two issues of the paper. “The more that we can get the community in- volved with what it wants its paper to be, the more it will succeed,” Brian said. Brian acknowledges he is still concerned about the financial stability of Mountain Pride Media, though a recent challenge grant "from the Samara Foundation of Vermont has things looking up. Samara Foundation, with a mission to support and strengthen the GLBT communities, promised to match up to $4,000 raised by Mountain Pride Media , prior to August 31. As of August 25, $4,143.40 had been contributed by more than 45 individuals - bet- ter than $8,000 total with the Samara Foundation matching grant. Though board members acknowledge that fundraising and increasing advertising revenue are important to the future of Mountain Pride Media, Brian said he does not anticipate MPM changing its advertising policy about tobacco and content that is sexually explicit. “Currently we don’t feel comfortable having content_ in the paper that we wouldn't want our 5-year-old niece or nephew looking at,” Brian said. “We could fill up that whole paper with bathhouse ads and sexually explicit ads, but I think it really changes what our community paper really is.” The board and OI TM staff welcome new vol- unteers. To get involved, call 802-861-6486, email mpm@mountainpridemedia.org or stop in. We're upstairs from R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center on Elmwood Avenue in Burlington.V Kim Howard . Secretary, MPM Board of Directors ‘l