Attorney General’s Office
Records Discrimination

"There’s no discrimination
lesbians and gay men in Vermont." True or
false? Well, it‘s obvious to us, as people
who have been discriminated against because
we are lesbians or gay men, that it’s a false
statement. But try convincing your local
Representative or Senator, or Governor that
discrimination against lesbians and gay men
exists in Vermont.

Some members of the legislature took
our word for it when we bravely stood up
in large numbers and told our stories at the

against

public hearing on H.247 last year. However
a lot of Representatives and Senators
wanted proof of discrimination, statistics

from credible sources. We had statistics
from V.L.G.R.’s excellent survey of violence
and discrimination against lesbians and gay
men in Vermont. But our statistics, like
our stories, were just not good enough or
believable for everyone. Don't despair,
however, there is a mechanism by which we
can record the discrimination against us in a
"credible" forum (i.e., a forum beyond our
control).

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office
has agreed to log, record, and file
complaints in a wide range of areas on
account of someone’s sexual orientation.

The A.G. will only record complaints. They
will not investigate them until we have a
nondiscrimination law on the books stating
that discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation is a violation of the law (which
is why we need H.247). If you call the
A.G.’s office, you do not have to give your
name. Be persistent. Ask to speak to the
Civil Rights Division. Ask for a Civil Rights
Investigator. If all else fails, insist on
speaking to Brian Burgess. He is the
Deputy Attorney General that agreed to
have the A.G.’s office log incidents.

Attorney General’s Qffice
828-3171
To report any incidents against you of
discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation

It is important to be persistent because
some people who called have been told that
the A.G.’s Office does not handle such
complaints. No, it’s not a conspiracy, just a
lack of concern. The policy has been in
effect for more than a year, however, at
least one of the three civil rights
investigators didn't know about it. Neither
did the secretaries who answer and route
the phone calls. A memo was sent to all
the civil rights investigators and people who
answer the phones advising them -how to
handle such calls. The system is there. We
need to use it and make it work for us.

If you have been discriminated against,
please call. If you are given a hard time,

October 1987, Page 9

‘D A Nightclub of Distinction

 

20 Elliot Street
Brattleboro, Vermont

Downstairs in the old church

GONG SHOW, Every Wednesday Night

Dancing Nightly

call Susan at 234-9589 and she will see if
she can be of any assistance.

Please note: If you have been the
victim of any violence or other criminal
offenses, you may be referred to your
county’s states attorney's office. The states
attorney is the primary law enforcement
authority for the county in which you live.
You will be referred because assault is a

(802) 254-8645

crime, unlike discrimination, and your
attacker can be prosecuted. Be very
cautious if you decide to report any attack

to the police. Nothing you say will
necessarily be kept confidential.

You can tell the A.G.’s Office that you
do not want to call the states attorney, but
that you still want the assault logged. And
you still do not have to give your name.