page 2 - Out in the Mountains

CVGM organized

Central Vermont Gay Men
(C.V.G.M.) has recently formed, and
will continue to sponsor, a support

group for gay men.

The group is currently comprised
of eight men of diverse backgrounds,
experience and age. Thus far the
discussions have been open and personal
with each member sharing his feelings
about being gay, living in a rural area
with limited support, and the reaction
disclosure has had, or might have.

In the future the group plans to
discuss issues of the older gay male,
use of substance abuse to closet
emotions, how to meet someone nice,
relationships, and safe sex.

A buddy system has been
developed so that individual members
can maintain the support generated in
the group during the interim between
meetings.

The group meets every two weeks
and hopes to plan special events as a
community, i.e., outings, attending
public concerts of group members,
sojourns to the bar, etc.

The group format has been
supportive in facilitating members
talking with each other on a
person-to-person basis. It is helping to
bring about the realization that we
have many issues and concerns in
common and are indeed not alone in
facing them.

For further information, contact
Keith E. Goslant at RD # 1, Box 3370,
East Hill, Barre, Vt 05641 (476-7506).

Purpose

The purpose of Out in the Mountains is to serve as
a voice for lesbians, gay men and our supporters in
Vermont. We wish the newspaper to be a source of
information, support and affirmation for lesbians and
gay men. We also see it as a vehicle for celebration of
the goodness and diversity of the lesbian and gay
community.

Editorial Policy

We will consider for publication any material which
broadens our understanding of our lifestyles and of
each other. Views and opinions appearing in the paper
do not necessarily represent those of the staff.

This paper cannot, and will not endorse any candi-
date for public office. We will serve as a vehicle for
informing our readers about the views of candidates
and actions of public officials on issues of particular
importance to lesbians and gay men.

We will not publish any material which is overtly
racist, sexist, anti—Semitic, ageist or homophobic.

All materials submitted must be signed and include
an address and/or phone number so we can contact the
author should we need to consider editorial revisions.
However, within the pages of the newspaper, articles
may appear anonymously, upon request, and strict
confidentiality will be observed. No revisions or reject-
ions of materials will occur without dialogue with the
author.

We welcome and encourage all readers to submit
materials for publication and to share your comments,
criticisms and positive feelings with us. This paper is
here for you.

The deadline for submitting material for each issue is
the 15th of the month prior to publication.

Materials should be sent to:

On! in the Mountains
PO Box 438
Hinesburg, VT 05461.

On! in the Mountains is published by the Out in the
Momituins collective: Elizabeth Mae, Howard Russell,
David Flyan, Suzi Shira, Philip Roberts, Linda Wheeler,
Terje Anderson, Gilles Yves Bonneau, and Antonio Baio.

 

The politics of homophobia
and other atrocities

by Becky Brandt
It is no accident that the same

people who object to the ERA,
reproductive freedom, masturbation,
social programs, socialism and peace,

etc., also oppose homosexuality. All this
opposition has a common root, the
fascist political agenda of capitalist
patriarchy, male supremacy. (This is not
true in the case of pornography, which
patriarchy defines as obscenity but
which in reality is prostitution and
womon-hatred and was created by
patriarchs for the purpose of degrading
womyn. For more information on this
subject read "When God was a Woman”
by Merlin Stone, and "A Herstory of
Prostitution” by Jesse Wells.)

In order to end homophobic and
other kinds of bigotry it is important
to understand the connection between
all forms of bigotry, its origin, who
bigotry serves and how, and how it is
perpetuated.

Homophobia, the fear and hatred
of homosexuality, is a part of sexism,
the control of sexuality in order to
achieve male supremacy (of white, old,
rich, male Xtians [WORMX] in our
culture). It is one of the sexual scarcity
myths created and imposed on us by

patriarchy, from which WORMXS get
their power. Ronald Raygun’s
popularity is an example of this power.
By making sex a scarce commodity (no
masturbation, no sex outside of
marriage and for procreation only,
homophobia, ageism, etc.) and womyn
sex commodities (mother/whore),
patriarchs give capitalists the
opportunity to make big bucks selling
sex-ism and exploiting womyn, just as
classism and racism are used to exploit
people for profits.

Patriarchal religion represses and
distorts sexuality in order to control us,
to force men to buy sex through
marriage or prostitution and womyn to
work for "love" or, with other wage
slaves, for low wages in de~valued,
spirit- deadening jobs. The purpose of
marriage is to provide wealth to
capitalist- patriarchs by ensuring a
dependent, vulnerable, and docile labor
force and by exploiting womyn. The
purpose of homophobia and other
aspects of sexism is to ensure sex role
division and the dominant
male/submissive female model. Its
ultimate goal is male control of female
reproductive and therefore productive
power, a main source of wealth. We can
see by the latest Supreme Court ruling
against sodomy that patriarchs take the
business of sex roles seriously.

Patriarchy goes hand in hand
with capitalism, the worship of private
property rights. (This is why Randolph
Hearst supported Billy Graham and
Coors and the Hunt brothers support
Jerry Falwell and other insidious causes
like the John Birch Society, for

example.) Rich men are always behind
religion and for good reason. Capitalism
uses patriarchal ideology and mythology
to justify and continue its exploitation
of people and resources at home and
abroad, just as feudalism did in the
past. The Battle of the Sexes becomes
the Battle of Nations. (There are also
contradictions between capitalism and
patriarchy, like the selling of sex-ism
vs. the restricting of sex, and these
need to be exposed so people will know
how they're being duped.)

The combination of self-hatred
taught by the Original Sin myth and
sexual repression (common to all
patriarchal religions, along with the
dominant male myth) with economic
and social oppression leads to the fear
and hatred of others and the need to
compete rather than cooperate. Think
where capitalists would be if people
cooperated rather than competed, and
think where patriarchy would be if sex
were free and the sexes equal!

_The notion of a Supreme Being
gives rise to notions of superiority and
inferiority rather than difference, from
which we get our hierarchical mode of
organizing and the justification of
inequity and injustice. In the same way

Classism, sexism, racism, anti-Scmitism,
imperialism, etc., are all part of mg
same political agenda and serve the
Purpose of power, profits, and privilege
for capitalist patriarchs. Throughout
his-story patriarchal religion has
flourished when economic oppression
was most severe, and it has always
acted to prevent social progress and
justice, while talking of the Golden
Rule and compassion for others, etc.
Religion’s promise of a better life is in
heaven. (For an enlightening analysis of
the politics of patriarchy, read "Right
Wing Women" by Andrea Dworkin.)

How does homophobia fit into the
politics of patriarchy? Strict sex role
division is essential to male supremacist
ideology. The dominant male model and
all aspects of sexual repression,
including homophobia, are necessary to
control female reproductive power and
achieve wealth and privilege.
Homophobia is one of the pillars of
patriarchy. If we can knock it down
the whole structure will collapse. No
turning back is the perfect theme for
the job that must be done. The sexual
scarcity myths of patriarchy and the
material scarcity myths of capitalism
must be exposed and denounced for the
harm they do to human nature and the
human condition. Then we could sec an
era of justice, peace, and prosperity for
all, never dreamed of by most people
but entirely within our capabilities
right now.

(I use the words womon arid womyn
because woman means womb of man.)