In sharp contrast to the Republican
Party, which dropped support for the
Equal Rights Amendment from its
platform, delegates to the Democratic
State Platform Convention on
September 21st voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the amendment.

The party also approved, without
dissent, platform planks supporting
legislation to outlaw discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation and
HTLV-Ill antibody testing.

Speaking to the convention in
support of the ERA, Governor
Madeleine Kunin called for an end to
all discrimination, specifically including
the term "sexual orientation‘ in her
speech.

Over 300 delegates turned out for
the Platform Convention, nearly six
times the normal attendance at the
biennial event. They were motivated
largely by press reports that an effort
would be made to drop support of the
ERA from the Platform. Instead, the
ERA was approved by an overwhelming
voice vote, with only one dissenting
vote.

Particularly significant was the
fact that Terje Anderson, an openly
gay Democratic Party activist, was
chair of the Platform Committee.
Anderson, who coordinated the writing

of the platform, worked for over six
months developing the document.
During that time, he met with state
legislators, Kunin administration
officials, and party leaders and
activists from throughout the state to
put together a unified Democratic
approach to issues.

‘Support for lesbian and gay rights
was included in the platform from the
beginning, and not once was an
objection raised at any of the hearings
and meetings", said Anderson.

"The fact that none even suggested
dropping it at a time when there is
such a viciously homophobic anti-ERA
campaign going on is a real sign of
political courage".

Anderson emphasized what he
called "the significance of the party
naming me, as an openly gay person, to
a position as important as Platform
Committee Chair. lt demonstrates
clearly that the party‘s commitment to
equality is real."

State Representative K. Micque
Glitman, a strong supporter of lesbian
and gay rights, said that she was
"pleased that the civil rights section of
the platform is so strong on issues of
women's rights, lesbian and gay rights,
A.I.D.S. discrimination, drug testing,
and other important issues".

 

Things for which We are Thankful

Lesbians and gay men have lots to be
thankful for. Here is the beginning of
a list:

-the color pink

-lovers and friends

-Dr. Albertini

-Mieque Glitman

-people seeking a cure for AIDS
-lesbian and gay health care
—Peace and Justice Center
-advertisers who pay

—Adrienne Rich and May Sarton
-Madeleine Kunin

-Vermont CARES

-meetings

-Holly Near

—"Out in the Mountains‘

-the Haymarket Fund

-O.l.T.M. subscribers and donators of time
and financial support

-VLGR, for fighting for our rights
-supportive co-workers

-support groups

-freedom from social mores

-surviving Catholic education

-cats ~

-good books

-smokeless bars

-those (rare) supportive synagogues and
churches

-gay cooking

-the three sunny weekends in the
summer of 1986

November 1986 - Out in the Mountains - page 3

VT DE’./1/05' 5'UPPO1‘?’}” EPA/G/Z 1?] GETS

Going Home
for the Holidays

by Dave

Stress is a normal function of
living - without stress we would not
survive. Learning to live with stress
and learning that we can control stress
in our lives helps all of us to live
better - most of the time. However,
the holidays present us with new
challenges, new frustrations, old
wounds, unpleasant memories and
unfulfilled dreams and hopes.
Understanding this will help get you
through a little easier.

Picture the idealized holiday scene
- right out of a Norman Rockwell
painting or a Bing Crosby White
Christmas album. The media convinces
us all that the holiday times are full
of fun, family, fulfillment and life
through rose-colored glasses. We often
buy into that image because we, too,
would like life to be the way it is
painted for us. But the reality of
being gay/lesbian and dealing with
holiday time doesn't always fit into the

life we have presented to us by the
media. Holiday times are times for the
family, That word means one thing to
us and another to the non-gay,
non-lesbian world. My family isn't
related to me - it is made up of my
gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.
Going home to biological families often
means separation from significant
others, from lovers, from supportive
communities. It often means more lies
and deceptions and in many cases a
quick trip back into that closet. It
often takes weeks or months to
overcome the anger, the sadness. the
disappointment of our holiday trips
home. Now, I acknowledge that this
isn't true for all of us, but l would be
willing to bet that there is a very
significant number of us who hang
around here until the very last minute
before venturing home to the family, if
we venture home at all. Being at
Pearls for Thanksgiving can be the
pits.

What can we do to deal with the
stress of the holidays. For one thing,
make sure that as much quality time is
spent with significant others as
possible. Talk about your expectations
for the holidays with friends. Do you
expect that this year dad/mom will be
sober and won't ask when you are
going to get married and have kids? Do
you expect that this year cousin Jane

and her hubby won't talk about the’

faggots they say on the street? Do you
hope that this year dad will tell you
he loves you? Develop realistic
expectations while in honest
conversation with friends. Chances are
families aren't going to change from

continued, page 8