Out in the Mountains information, sup ‘ lesbians z’irid_{g_ay a vehicle’for=éele_ _ anddiversityofthe es Dian <_1‘g,y_ munw ‘ ._ , Edito’r1_a1,,gPol1cy.; We will ,c_o'nsider_ Z for publicatioiilj‘ any matefial‘which‘brpfadehs, oufunde ' standing of our zlifesftyleis of other. Views and opin_io'ns'’app:earing_ ;» -the paper do not necessarfly":represen_t5‘ those of the staff; ca,Iiiio_t,‘an"dp will not endorse any candidates atid’ae-::- tions of public officials_§“on§:_,issue fg importance" to lesbians and gay men 1, We will not material which is overtly _rac1st;i S¢3{ist’vf"anti-Se-:, mitic, ageist,classist§‘orho1n'opp Vb 5“ ” :All materials,‘sub'mitted“ ~ signed so we"can contact*th au_t_:__hor_= should .we_,,:ni'eed to eonside alf‘ revisions. H_o ' 'thin the pages’ of A the newspabg _ .. , i . '¢1e.s may appe Onymouslya Pct. ir¢<1ufii.i=‘s,t‘£'aIidis.“‘_"’c.t fi.dentia1ity"‘wi11. bfiobsctv Néif . " sions or rejecVt':ion's__of g vcurtwithoiit dialoguejfwith the author. _ q We welcome“ and all readers to subrnitv‘niat_erials'fo_r pgiibliea-' tion and to._share'fyou:_r’comnients,_,criti-I ‘cisms, andpositive fee '"'gs’with tis.‘Th1s‘? paper is here.fo‘rAyou."'Ii'he deadline for ‘sqbmittiIit§__!na§¢ri?i...f9¢§‘ _shou|_d'be received byoirmino taterfthan th e’ 7tV‘h”fo_f the "grew; monthiss pagjeis. ‘ fY‘oLi"'r‘7 "sul5rn’issi,on" Who Is Family ? t Looking at the holiday season in retro- spect, it becomes obvious how difficult this time can be for many lesbians and gay men. For us, the traditional vision of a loving and accepting family to share this time with does not always exist. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah symbolize a kind of sharing, giving, care and apprecia- tion for those we love. This vision, however is often shattered by the reality of our life- styles and experiences in this society. For many lesbians and gay men, the holiday season symbolizes pain and sepa- ration. It is a time when the frustration of secrecy and denial of self, and the fear of discovery of our lifestyles is often height- ened. It is also a time when a great deal of emotional strain is placed on the individual as well as on lesbian/gay relationships. At this time of year the question often becomes a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. Do we separate from lesbian] gay friends or lovers to journey back home to relatives who may not understand or accept who we are? Or do we deny our history in order to be with those we feel most com- fortable with and loved by? Although some of us have adequately, through work and tears, been able to incorporate all the im- portant people in our lives, for many the decision is still painful. But regardless of what our different experiences or situations may be, there comes a point where we have to redefine what the holidays and the concept of family really means to us. Loosely defined, the term family may refer to a goup of people with something in common or a common Dear Editors: Congratulations December’s issue! It was the best I’ve seen yet. I enjoyed all the diverse, intelligently written articles, re- views and letters. I would particularly like to respond to the editorial commentary re- garding the printing of sexually explicit material. Censorship leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It makes me think of our commu- nity’s virtual invisibility in the mainstream media; it reminds me of VPR’s initial re- sponse to Hugh Russell when he attempted to sponsor a day of programming in the name of the station’s lesbian and gay friends. But somehow censorship doesn’t seem like the right word to describe OITM’s decision. This pap_er’s strength is that it has a feature. The ties that bind may not always‘. be blood or marriage, but the commonality ‘ of lifestyle, experience or perspective. ltis | this type of commonality that prompts many lesbians and gay men to spend holi.i days in the company of lovers and friends where their own uniqueness may flourish‘ and be celebrated. For others, the observance of tradi ‘ tional holidays is not even an option. Many V lesbians and gay men, while opting out of] their family religious practices, have also chosen not to observe religious holidays. such as Christmas or Hanukkah. Some’ choose not to observe Thanksgiving asa; way of showing solidarity with the Ameri: can Indians whose lives and culture have been destroyed with the arrival of Whitet people to this country. Because of such.’ controversy surrounding traditional holi-. days some lesbians and gay men have chosen to confine their holiday celebra-‘N tions to New Years or to more non-tradiw tional holidays such as the Winter Solstice. ‘ The holiday season should be atimeol sharing and celebrating who we are and Out i connections with others. If this can not happen in traditional ways, then it is dell ’;. nitely time to redefine and prioritize whatis ’ important to us. As lesbians and gay men we must often be creative in developingre I lationships and situations that work for usl and meet our needs. The holiday season often poses the greatest challenge to the, creativity. But hopefully, with each yeast we’ll be closer to celebrating the holiday! season in a way that validates and expresses‘ who we are. ‘ cohesive theme. It reports our news- . tional, local and statewide- to us and to 011! Public. Our news is everyone’s businelt because it is about our interactions withflll ‘ society in which we live. Our sexualilli‘ our own business to discuss and celebralti amongst ourselves. I’ll admit that I would’ cringe to know that my mother and Illi lawmakers were reading the material lhl‘ OITM decided to cut- but I won’t stand ft being labeled prude, homophobic or Cell sorer because of that. Other papers focus on gay art, POW! and writings. Still others focus 011 0”‘ WI ual selves. I fear that OITM W001” weakening itselfif it attempted, in 12P“3“i once a month, to be a forum for all 911% e9 diverse aspects of our commun1I)’- (Contimuedflflu