SEPTEMBER 2006 I out In the mountains 1

 

The Washington
Supreme Court
Decision '

The “activist judge” accusations
of the religious and political
right must be hitting home. The
Supreme Court decision against
marriage wrote, “while same-sex
marriage may be the law at a fu-
ture time, it will be because the
people declare it to be, not be-
cause five members of the court
have dictated it.” If the courts of
the 1960s had followed this logic,
we might still be waiting on civil
rights legislation.

As much as I wish the court
had decided for sarne-gender

- marriage, I still appreciate their

truth that marriage equality will
become law when “the people
declare it to be.” Last summer

I unicycled for five weeks and
1,000 miles to gather stories of
gay, and lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people. I also asked
hundreds of straight people what
they thought of equal rights. Even

for those who thought homosexu- _

ality was a sin, when I told about
specific couples, and the specific
hardships which the Supreme
Court noted in last weeks deci-
sion, almost to a person, people

responded, “Yes, they should have
those rights."

The fastest way to the privileges
and responsibilities of same-gender
marriage is to recognize that that

' we’re talking about real people, and

real gay and lesbian families that
already exist. A young gay man dur-

ing my tour last summer defined an A

ally for me. “Allies listen. And they
believe what they hear.” Getting
beyond political and religious po-
larization will require us to tell our
stories, listen to one another, and
believe what we hear. As soon as
we act, as soon as declare it to be,
we can achieve marriage 
Straight into Gay America:

My Unicycle Journey for Equal
Rights has just been released. It's
my way ofadding a voice to the
equal rights movement. A neigh-
bor who is reading my book ad-
dressed me with some frustration,
“You’re making me think about
things I’ve never thought about
before.”

“Good,” I replied to this moth- 

er of two young girls, “Ifyoiir '
daughters grow up lesbian, now
you’ll be ready to keep loving
them." So many gay and lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender families
have been torn apart by hatred of
homosexuality. Real family values

don’t tear families apart. Marriage
equality will give dignity to all
families. Let's do what the cdurt
says, and “declare it to be."

LARS CLAUSEN
Chelan, Washington

Pride from .
Rehoboth Beach
to Burlington

The weather is mighty hot and hu-
mid this time of year in the quaint
town of Rehoboth, Delaware.

As I chat to another member of
the Rehoboth Writers Guild,.we
shared thoughts of Burlington,
Vermont.

Mine being the most recent

and first time ever, I glowed like

a lightning bug in the still of the
night as I plummeted scenarios,
adventures, people met, and the
Pride Fest of Burlington. I explod-
ed with joy about the nature of
the people I met and the at-home
feeling I possessed While in town.
From the shores of the Atlantic
Ocean to the view of Lake Cham-
plain, the Pride Fest was solid
and liquefied the need to be out '
through personal expression in
the mountains and by the ocean,
Wherever. As I was leaving town, I

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stumbled upon the Pride Fest and
the personalityof Lynn and could
not leave the rainbow flag or the
event itself.

We express the same attitude
and charisma here in Rehoboth
Beach. Although the sights of
nature may differ, the heart of ,
our annual Pride Fest carries the
same respectful support of com-
munity and those whom ‘embark
upon.

We here in Rehoboth Beach
Want to thank you and yours for '
being especially open and recep-
tive to out-of-town “family.” And
We invite you for a taste of Atlan-
tic serenity as your lovely town
of Burlington has done and will

continue to for many road trips to

come. Keep in mind that a few of
us locals do rent rooms to those
who visit (oisea2@aol.com).

Thanks for the opportunity to
share these thoughts in 01 TM.
I am looking forward to writing
again, possibly in the future of
political stands and rights (VT/
DE), national issues and articles ’
of community connection:

PAMELA J. BERGMANN
Rehoboth, Delaware.

Cfiended at
Defense of Mary
Cheney’s Book

What is it with these Gold Coast
Log Cabin Republicans in Miami?
Another letter targeted at OITM.
This time it's the’ Mary Cheney
opus. Obviously the book is not
selling. Uncle Tom to the rescue!

ALBERT SANTERRE
Salem, New Hampshire

(Editor's note: the letter Mr. San-

terre is referring to (July ‘O6.

OITM) was distributed to a. num-
ber of gay publications, OITM
being one of them. I included it
in the letters as representative of
another viewpoint from the gay
community).

Correction

The correct email for Queer So-
cial Space is qssvermont@gmail.
com. There was an incorrect list-
ing in the August issue.