J/L, (J = l G\ ls‘ out VERMONT’S NEWSPAPER for LESBIANS and GAY MEN I Vol. 1 No. 9 November, 1936 i 1312’./FIE’./I/5’£'1? T0 V 075' TUESDA If /V0 VE’/IIBEQ? 4TH CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OITM SURVEY In early September, OITM sent out questionnaires to candidates for statewide office in Vermont on issues of particular concern to lesbians and gay men. These candidates were informed that the results would be published in our newspaper and that. failure to respond would also be noted. What follows are the results of this survey. !J,§, Senate Rage: Richard Snelling stated that he supports the concept of a federal civil rights bill to protect gay people. He would agree to co-sponsor and vote for such a bill (subject to approval of specific wording). He would support increased funding for AIDS education and research. He would support changes in the immigration law which currently excludes lesbians and gay men. And he would assign a staff person to act as liaison to the lesbian/gay community in Vermont. Senator Patrick Leahy does not commit himself to co-sponsoring national lesbian/gay civil rights legislation. He supports increased AIDS funding. As concerns current immigration law he says, "I believe these provisions need updating‘. And finally, he would continue to have a liaison to the lesbian/gay community. LLS, Hggsei Representative Jame: Jeffords has not co-sponsored the lesbian/gay civil rights bill and does not commit himself to vote for it. ‘In general, I look with disfavor on interference, governmental or otherwise. in the personal lives of our citizens.‘ From his letter it is clear that he would consider a lesbian/gay .civil rights bill to be just such interference. He supports increased AIDS funding. He does not commit himself to changing the lesbian/gay exclusion in immigration. He has already appointed a staff person to act as liaison to the lesbian/gay community. Peter Diamondstone did not respond to our survey. gigverngrz Governor Madeleine Kunln would not commit herself to supporting a lesbian/gay civil rights bill without seeing the specific wording. She did support an unsuccessful amendment to the landlord-tenant bill which would have prohibited discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation. She supports state and federal funding for education and services to people with AIDS and people in high-risk groups. She supports rcactivating the State Human Rights Commission. She has appointed liaisons and would continue to do so. She would appoint qualified lesbians and gay men to boards and commissions; "I would never ask an individual about his or her sexual orientation before offering an appointment or position in government". She would issue an executive ‘order barring discrimination in state hiring and employment practices and barring discrimination by state contractors 9_n_|_y if provided with evidence of such discrimination. Mayor Bernard Sanders supports passage of a state lesbian/gay civil rights bill. He supports state funding for services to people with AIDS and people in high-risk groups. He would support re-instituting the State Human Rights Commission. He would appoint representatives from the lesbian/gay community to act as liaisons to his office. He would make appointments to boards and commissions without regard to sexual orientation. Finally, he would be willing to issue executive orders barring discrimination in state hiring and employment practices as well as an executive order barring discrimination Peter Smith did not respond to’ our survey. ],jemena_m fiQve[nQ[: Howard Dean would not support a civil rights bill ‘aimed specifically at any given group" but he would include lesbian/gay civil rights protection in a broader bill. He did support the HTLV-III anti-discrimination bill sponsored by Micque Glitman last year. He would support state funding for education and services to people with AIDS and people in high-risk groups. He would support re-instituting the State Human Rights Commission. He was ambivalent about appointing a liaison simply because he wasn't sure if it was necessary because of numerous "friends and supporters" in the gay community. Susan Auld does not'feel that a state lesbian/gay civil rights bill is necessary and therefore wouldn't support one. She would support state funding for education and services to people with AIDS and people in high-risk groups. She supports re-instituting the State Human Rights Commission "within available revenues". She would not appoint a liaison but would be ‘personally accessible to both individuals and groups of Vermonters". Angrney general: Jeffrey Ameatoy would take no position on a state lesbian/gay civil rights bill ‘without reference to the specific terms of the proposal". He did not indicate whether he supported the concept. Amestoy's office currently "receives and records complaints of discrimination against gay men and lesbians‘. He would use existing disability laws ‘subject to adequacy of civil remedies available to private individuals under law" to protect the rights of people with AIDS and ARC (AIDS Related Complex). Please consider these results when HAPPY HALLovihf‘E1