~ 3 nuvinthe-mlllntilins l NOVEMBER-72006 l I\/i|OUNTA|NiPRIiDiEl\/IED|A.OiRG ._I. A-~ .‘..,_r. _. “. -_; ESTABLISHED IN 1986 - VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 10 I Inthe mnutums CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH: Paul Olsen, Michel Yaeger, Beth Robinson, Leah Vlfitténberg, Arlene lstar Lev, Skeeter Sanders, Judith Ruskin, Leslie Freeman, Lindsay Cobb, Tobias Novak, Renee Lang, ND; Donna lverson, Anthe Athas, Peggy Lufhrs, Dan Hunt, Nick Reed, Will Holden, U.S. Newswire, Dawn M. Crowe, Lynn Martin, Euan Bear, Merry Gangemi, Taylor, Joe Swinyer, Ron Blake, Mikhael Yowe, Stuart Granoff, Alison Bechdel, Glen Hanson, Allan Neuwirth, and Robert Kirby. Executive Director: Greg Weaver greg@mountainpridemedia.org Editor: Lynn McNicol lynn@mountainpridemedia.org Art Director: Don Eggert don@mountainpridemedia.org Webmaster webguru@mountainpridemedia.org NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Rivendell Media, Inc. lTel (908) 232- 2021 I info@rivendellruedia.com. Rivendell Marketing is the leading authority on the gay and lesbian press in the United States and Canada. As a media rep firm, Rivendell Marketing represents over 200 local gay and lesbian publications. Since 1979, Rivendell has helped to further define the market to give advertising agencies the facts they need to make the correct advertising decisions within this market. Rivendell provides the only accurate annual reporting on the gay and lesbian press as well as competitive tracking reports. Currently, they place advertisemenis in the gay press for every major advertising agency in Norm America. ': = r ADVERTISING: Roland Palmer 8: Greg Weaver advertising@mountainpridemedia.org COMMUNITY COMPASS: Lynn McNicol compass@mountainpridemediaorg . COMMUNITY CLASSIFIEDS: Tina Giangrande & Greg Weaver classifieds@mountainpridemedia.org OUR DAILY AGENDA: Dan Brink calendar@mountainpridemedia.org THE SOURCE: Tina Giangrande & Greg Weaver source@mountainpridemedia.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Michelle Barber, Miguel Bernard-Rivera, Brian Cote, Tina Giangrande, Kim Howard, Kate Kinney and Greg Weaver SUPPORTERS: Out in the Mountains was founded in 1986 with a grant from the Haymarket People's Fund. In addition to advertising income_,._Mountai,n,_F,'ride. Media's current funding sources include the Samara ‘Foundation of Ve'rmont,ith'e I l _ Vermont Community Foundation, IBM Burlington, the University of Vermont, individual private donations and hundreds of volunteer_ hours. Mountain Pride Media is a Vermont non-profit corporation with 501(c)3 status. ' 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, and affirmation. We also see OITM as a vehicle for the celebration of the culture and diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities here in Vermont and elsewhere. :5 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 or actions of public officials on issues of importance to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender persons. We reserve the right not to publish any material deemed to be overtly racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, ageist, classist, xenophobic, or homophobic. 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However, within the pages of the newspaper, articles may appear anonymously upon request, and strict confidentially will be observed. 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 in Fairfax, VT. OITM maintains offices at 34 Elmwood Avenue in Burlington, Vermont, USA. The bulk mail subscription rate is $29 per year within the USA. Mountain Pride Media, Inc., DBA Out in the Mountains. Tel (802) 861 -OITM or 6486 Fax (802) 860-0705. PO Box 1122, Burlington, VT 05402-1122 USA wvvw.mountainpridemedia.org Our website is hosted by Vermont Design Works, 130 West Canal Street in Winooski, Vermont, USA. The site is updated with the current issue of OITM and our online archives by the 10th day of each month. OITM is available in alternative formats upon request and is printed on recycled newsprint containing 30%: post-consumer and using 100% soy-based inks. ©2006, Mountain Pride Media, |nc., DBA Out in the Mountains I All Rights Reserved Voting, Green Living l and the ACLU ‘l ovember is a time of transitions. Here in Vermont, we are begin- ning to get serious cold weather, the leaves are gone; we must get ready for winter. It is the time of elections for us at the state and national levels, and the results will help determine the direction we take fiom here: whether toward in- creasing repression and violence, or in- stead toward healing and peace. And it's the time of holidays, families and feasting and remembering the good things we have. There isn’t much more to be said about voting, except to urge everyone to vote!! Vote early by mail, or make sure you can get to the polls on November 7 to cast your ballot. Voting is our right, and we all need to exercise it, every chance we have. It’s up to us to make sure we continue to have the right to vote, the right to speak out and to live our lives in a free and open manner. Thanks to observant reader Tammy Higgins for bringing the rouowuig in-<1u'r'*= Wcatd runribers over‘ the telephone. " '* ‘' ‘'‘ attention: Green Living, A Pra,ctica,l Journal for Friends of the Environment, a quarterly with offices in Randolph, has managed to offend us. In a somewhat humorous column titled “Fear Factor - Vermont!” the author kids us with the statement that Vermont has a lot to be scared of, including “Coyotes, black ice, mud, cluster flies, head lice, school budgets, Act 250, tent caterpillars, maple thrips, Quebec drivers, identity theft, gay marriage, and Yankee Nuclear.” While amused by the list, I also won- der, for about the thousandth time, WI-IAT is it people are so afraid of? Referring to gay marriage, I mean. I can only say, Green. Living, I didn’t expect to find this in your otherwise progressive magazine. Its really our community that has reason to be afraid: of harassment, of ostracism, of rejection by family members, of inter- nalized homophobia, of losing our jobs or homes. Its the old case of putting the shoe on the other foot. It’s kind of like our not-fairly-elected president crying “terror- ism” while carrying out terrorist activities (and would it surprise you to know that Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former South African President Nelson Mandela, during his 27 years of imprisonment by the white majority government, was la- beled a “terrorist” by those officials?). While we’re on the subject, some- times the very groups that promise to fight on our behalf may be guilty of : stepping on our rights as well. The past few years, the American Civil Liberties Union has been the subject of increased scrutiny as it has allegedly bent its own ideals to go along with some U.S. poli- cies to detect “suspected terrorists.” Recently, a group of ACLU support- l ers, by the name of Save the ACLU, , stated that the organization must recog- nize its failures and replace its national leaders. The group has accused those leaders of attempting to “impose gag rules on staff, subject staff to email sur- veillance, and purge the ACLU of its internal critics," among other things. Allen Gilbert, executive director of ACLU Vermont, told OI TM that the ACLU has “undergone a phenomenal growth spurt since 2001,” due largely to people’s fears of loss of civil liberties under the 1 current administration. He said the result- ing “growing pains,” combined with the strong personalities of ACLU leaders, seem to be at the heart of the conflict. I It's hard to say exactly what's been going on at ACLU headquarters. It is a fact that the ACLU has engaged in some questionable fundraising prac- tices, such as asking donors for credit ."__-_§,._—.g__L,____ _ The ACLU is important to all of us, A and I hope it will continue as a beacon I for human rights for a long time to come. It has long been a supporter of LGBT rights, including bringing the first law- suit in support of same-sex marriage in 1972. More recently, the ACLU’s suc- cesses include advocating on behalf of California HIV-positive inmates’ rights to spousal family visits; in Arkansas, for the right of households with gay mem- bers to be foster parents; and in Georgia, affirming the right of gay high school students to have their own social club. It’s important for supporters to hold the ACLU, and all organiza- tions, accountable. Unless civil rights organizations hold to their ideals, they, too, can become part of the problem. Just like elected officials. Unless we all act, and vote, and talk to others about the need to preserve our fireedoms, our right to sit down to a holiday dinner with our chosen loved ones may not be so easily taken for granted. We have the right -to fight for what is ours; the right to live our lives without fear of violence or bias towards us. We also have the right to speak up when someone offends us - even if offense was not intended. By engaging ourselves in the process and working together, we can make a difference. Please have a safe and hap- py November. We’ll see you here again next month.V Lynn McNicol, Editor