Ldl L L5/'v(-»/’\\, I Vol. 1 No. 4 Man running‘ MAY *1-19No Turning Back Around country To fight AIDS It is easy to be skeptical when one first hears of Brent Nicholson Earle’s plans to run 10,000 miles around the country to raise funds for AIDS. How can anyone seriously hope to run 20 miles a day for 20 months? Where would anyone find the energy, determination and optimism to accomplish such a superhuman feat? Anyone who meets Brent Earle is quickly converted from skeptic to believer. Earle, a 35-year-old New York City playwright, is clearly determined to complete the l0,000 mile trek that began in March. Earle says the run grows out of a period of “tremendous anguish and grief because of AIDS. I was losing so many friends, I was immobilized by despair. I began running as an outlet for those feelings." In the fall of 1984 Earle participated in a fundraising run around Central Park for the Gay Men's Health Crisis. The $400 he raised in that effort "was exhilarating. Suddenly, instead of feeling powerless, I saw something I could do that was a positive way of contributing to the battle against AIDS. That's when I got the idea of running across the country." Earle credits Terry Fox's attempted run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research as a major inspiration. "Terry's heroic effort really convinced me that it was possible, gave me a model for what I wanted to do." Earle spent most of I985 travelling around the country to garner Support for the run, organize the logistics, and training. "I was never anything more than a recreational runner when I started thinking about this project" he says. "I logged more than 3,000 miles training for it in 1985'" continued, page 3 Out in the Mountains has gotten off to and Gay Men. To do this, we nee _ operating costs and to begin now to raise money fi‘ee I986 promises to be a very challenging year‘ for lesbians and gay men in Vermont. This is due primarily to the ERA campaign being waged in the state and the attempts by the anti-ERA forces to convince people that ERA is, at it‘s core, a lesbian/gay civil rights bill. This tactic (combined with the abortion issue) has been used in many other states to defeat this law by referendum. The problem for all of us is that this attach from the right is enhanced by a hesitancy on the part of our natural allies to defend us for fear that this connection (or perceptions thereof) will be strengthened. It is in the light of this social climate that the organizers of this year's lesbian/gay pride celebration have adopted the theme “NO TURNING BACK". Preliminary plans. include a concert/fundraiser on Friday, June 13. On Saturday, June 14 there Lsba.n/ ay Pride”Day events set will be a rally and parade in downtown Burlington starting at l:O0 p.m.. Featured speaker will be Gil Gerald, the Executive Director of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays. The rally will also include lots of music, celebrating and general rabble-rousing. On Saturday evening, there will be a film and speaker. ,A specific schedule of time and events will be published in the June issue of OITM. 'Also, it should be noted that on Sunday, June 15, the Vermont Interfaith Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns is planning a service at 1:00 p.m.. Again, watch for details in the June OITM. If there are other activities being planned in other parts of the state, please send details and we will publish those. Hope to see you June l3-l5 in Burlington! We Need Your Help! publish Out in the Mountains each month by sending your donation to: Out in the Mountains, a solid start, and we want to continue to be Vermont's Newspaper for Lesbians d to look now to next year when the Haymarket Grant will no longer cover our for next year's expenses. Won't you please help us to continue to PO Box 458, Hinesburg, VT 05461.