l Liaison to Ga

I by Holly Perdue
i “Well Dad, I’m gay and at the end of
y this yearlam going to Vermont to live with
\ ran.”
i F He thought a moment and said, “H011,
I lstill love you, but don’ttell Myrt (his wife)
i and you know you can never bring her to
1 visit with you because Myrt wouldn’t
understand and don’t tell anyone because
anyone who knows can hurt you. This
,' administration coming in is conservative,
I oh boy, conservative and they will not
| make life like yours easy. Be careful.”
Well, that conversation was eight
i years ago, thatrelationship has ended, I still
y talk with my Dad, his wife still doesn’t
, know but I am taking the risk of letting
1 peopleknow I am alesbian. I am not saying
that everytime I see my name in print or on
the TV or receive a phone call a shot of fear
. does not go through me, it does. Iam saying
lam proud enough of myself and secure
] enough within myself and our community
‘ that I am willing to be out of the closet
i enough to work toward improving our
image and increasing our civil rights.
The process by which I have come to

   

Co m m . : M

xso public has been an effort to fill in the
gaps and pick up pieces so our community
can go forward in our effort to achieve civil
rights.

Speaking at a hearing or being an out
lesbian in my job has not been as continu-
ally stressful as tiying to educate the
members of our own community. To sit at
a meeting of the Vermont Coalition of
Lesbians and Gay Men and wait for some-
one besides the same core group of ten
volunteers to help and receive stone silence
is frightening and disheartening. To attend
Women’s Night atPear1’s when the place is
wall to wall women and try to hand out
informational sheets or sell Lesbian and
Gay Pride buttons and receive looks of
abject terror and physical avoidance is also
frightening and bewildering.

Is it not our responsibility as members
of our community to educate and support
ourselves? Where can we be safe, right
now, if not within our own community
functions? H

We are approaching another legisla-
tive session. It is a time when everyone
who says to themselves, “I am a lesbian” or

 

 

itivat Y

  

  
   

  

“'3'

'1“ .. '
o u rse If !
“I am a gay man” must make an effort to
educate themselves and offer support to
members of our community. For those of
us who have made the commitment to be in
forefront of the activities it is important to
know that we are not an isolated island
working for the civil rights of people who
are too afraid to accept them even if they
were law. It is important to know we have
the active support of our community.
Yes, you can be active in this struggle
for civil rights even if you are a teacher, a
nurse, a childcare worker, a secretary, an
executive, employed or unemployed. You
can attend meetings of the Vermont Coali-
tion of Lesbians and Gay Men or the Steer-
ing Committee meetings (we are very pro-
tective of people’s closets). You can write
your legislators. Oh, noll I can’t!! I must
remain anonymous! So remain anonymous
and explain why. Have five of your friends
and relatives write or call their representa-
tives, even straight ones will do. Submit
testimony of discrimination and homopho-
bia. If you feel it is dangerous to testify in
person we will find someone to read it for
(Continued on page 10)

 

The Passion of Pearls

i
1 We 've got a new look
i Come in and Check it out.

  
    
   

135 Pearl Street .
Burlington, Vermont