June 1988

Commentary on the Gay Rights Bill

The following is a transcript of the program Heather Wishik presented as her weekly commentary on WDEV out of Waterbury. Her
radio program can be heard every Tuesday at 12:40pm

I6 Senators showed us their stuff,
They voted their conscience and guts.

_ They said rights and equality

Eor minority and majority
Are what Vermont is about, sure enough.

Then House Democrats in a caucus
they met

Some liberals were all in a sweat.

So they turned to their leaders

And said see we are pleading

Don't make us vote on gay rights yet.

The caucus then warned the committee
You must help us and save our majority.
If you vote gay rights out

The fundamentalists will shout

- And in November some seats we'll

surrender.

Meanwhile House Representatives paced,
A few wanted a vote to take place.

Some just relished a fight,

But a brave few supported gay rights

And wanted Vermont to stand in the light.

Discrimination's not right democrat
leaders did vote ,

The governor agreed and urged all,
take a vote,

But finally House leaders told lesbians

and gays

The time is not right, you'll just
have to wait,

Re-election’s more important than
condemning this hate.

Senators were feeling annoyed

To a housing bill they added a ploy
No discrimination against gays

In mobile housing we say

And this bill helps the poor,

so vote their way.

The debate in the House it began,

Mobile homes was the topic at hand.

With two days left to go,
And all hearts beating slow
A democrat raised up his hand.

This whole bill I might kill he did cry,
If to help gays and lesbians you try.
Mobile homes of elsewhere,

I really don't care

I'll not help gays till I die.

A friend of civil rights rose to talk

A republican leader did walk

Along with the many who wanted to duck
They left the chamber all in a cluck
Given a chance to debate they

just balked.

This bill's about housing one said,

Who cares what_ people do in their beds,
But those cy‘raid to take a stand

And those who hate gays and lesbians
Returned to vote discrirnination’s

0.K. in this land.

In the south in the sixties some whites
Tried to stop passage of black

civil rights,

But if Congress had waited

‘Til whites no longer hated

Blacks still wouldn't have any rights.

(Continued on page 10)

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