VERMONT NEWS / POLITICS

Vermont’s Political Stage is Set

. BY PAUL OLSEN

BURLINGTON — The results of
Vermont's September 12 primary
set the political stage for Elec-
tion Day. What follows is a sum-
mary of the key statewide races
and where the major candidates
stand on issues of concern to the
state’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender community.

Governor
Incumbent Republican Gov. Jim
Douglas will face former state
Sen. Scudder Parker, a Demo-
crat. Douglas opposes gay mar-
riage and civil unions, declined to
issue a proclamation recognizing
Vermont’s Pride Day celebration,
and vetoed legislation banning
discrimination on the basis of
gender identity or expression. In
spite of his lackluster record on
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-
gender equality, Douglas says
he’s no bigot.

“I oppose discrimination
against anyone,” Douglas‘ told
Out in the Mountains. “It is iIn—

portant that each and every Ver-

monter have the opportunity to
be treated equally in our society
and maximize his or her poten-
tjal.”

Scudder Parker, a minister
raised in Vermont’s Northeast
Kingdom, represented" Caledo-
nia County in the State Senate
for eight years. Most recently,
he worked as an energy consul-
tant and for Vermont Businesses
for Social Responsibility. Parker
supports full equality for GLBT
Vermonters, including access to
civil marriage.

“I have a long historyof com-
mitment to social justice and am
committed to equal rights for all
Vermonters,” Parker said in an
interview with OITM. “That re-
ally is one of the fundamental
pieces of building a healthy so-
ciety, a strong community, and a
great economy.” I

Lieutenant Governor

In the Lieutenant Govemor’s
contest, incumbent Brian Dubie,
a Republican, will face Demo-

'cratic State Sen. Matt Dunne.

Like Douglas, Dubie opposes gay
marriage and civil ‘unions. Dubie
also opposed recent legislation
prohibiting discrimination on the
basis of gender identity or ex-
pression in Vermont.

Dunne has represented Wmd-
sor County in the-state Senate

since 2003. He previously served
in Vermont's House of Repre-

. sentatives. In an interview with

01 TM, Dunne highlighted his
legislative differences with Du-
bie. “I was a strong supporter of
the gender identity bill,” he said.
Dunne has also expressed public
support for gay marriage. ’

 

Progressive Party member
Marvin Malek, a physician, is
also running for Lieutenant Gov-
emor.

U.S. Senate _

Independent U.S. Rep. Bernie
Sanders will face Republican
businessman Rich Tarrant in the
race to fill the seat of retiring
Sen. James Jeffords, also an In-
dependent.

Sanders has represented
Vermont in the U.S. House of
Representatives since 1991. In
Congress, Sanders garnered 100
percent positive ratings from the
Washington D.C.-based Human
Rights Campaign, and a 100 per-
cent rating from the AIDS Action
Council. His office maintains a
written nondiscrimination policy
including sexual orientation, he
is a sponsor of the Employment

Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), -

and he voted against the anti-
gay Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA). Sanders also opposed
efforts to amend the U.S. Consti-
tution to prohibit gay marriage
through the Federal Marriage
Amendment.

In an interview with OITM,
IDX ccrfounder Rich Tarrant
said he would cosponsor ENDA
and oppose the Federal Mar-
riage Amendment. However, in
a subsequent interview with Ver-
mont Woman newspaper, Tar-
rant offered qualified support for
ENDA.

“In general, I don't believe in
discrimination based on sexual
orientation, but I would have to
look at it,” _he said.

U.S. House of Representatives

State Senator Peter Welch (D-, ,’

Windsor County) currently serves
as Vermont's Senate President Pro

Rep. Bernie Sanders
has represented
Vermont in the

U.S. House of
Representatives.
since 1991', where
he has garnered 100
percent positive
ratings from both
the Human Rights
Campaign and the
AIDS Action Council.

Tern. Welch, an attorney, said gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgen-
der Vermonters should support
his candidacy due to his record
as a “strong and consistent sup-

porter of equal rights.” If elected ‘

to the U.S. House of Representa-
tives, Welch promises to fight for
gay and lesbian equality. He said
he opposes the anti-gay Federal

Marriage Amendment and would _

cosponsor the Employment Non-
discrimination Act (ENDA), the
Uniting American Families Act,
and the Domestic Partner Health
Benefits Equity Act.

Republican Martha Rainville
is the former Adjutant General
of Verrnont’s National Guard.
Rainville supports civil unions
and opposes the Federal Mar-
riage Amendment because she

doesn’t think “it is appropriate I"
for the federal government to be I

involved in that issue.” She “sup-
ports the concept" of ENDA but
needs to review the bill before
committing to voting for it. “To
me what’s important is what a
person brings to the job,” she
told OITM. “Their sexual orien-
tation is not important. It's their
performa.nce, their character,
and their contributions.”

Election Day is November 7,
2006.7

Paul Olsen is the
Vermont correspondent for
in newsweekly.

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