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Funds Shortage
Curtails Mission

The newly fonned Vermont Human
Rights Commission announced recently
that due to funding problems and lack of
invesigators, only complaints of discrimi-
nation that are illegal under existing laws
will be investigated. For Vermont gays and
lesbians, Jim Morgan, a commission
member explained, this means complaints
reported to the Commission will be tabu-
lated for statistical purposes, but can not be
investigated.

Morgan added that Susan Sussman,
Executive Director of the Commission,
strongly urged those with complaints to call

anyway.

Vermont Humans Rights Commission
828-2480
P.O. Box 997
Montpelier, VT 05602

Register your complaints of discrimi-
nation based upon sexual orientation. Calls
will logged for statistical purposes but not
investigated.

The Commission’s first public hearing
was held at City Hall in Burlington on
December 7th. The topic was housing
discrimination and 14 people offered testi-
mony. Most of those speaking cited prob-

v lems in obtaining rental housing because of

their dependence on public assistance or
because the applicant had children.

Two housing advocates mentioned
receiving complaints regarding discrimi-
nation based on sexual orientation. Liz
Cum, a city housing inspector, discussed
three cases of discrimination in housing
based on sexual orientation.

FYI: Burlington Voters

Burlington mayoral candidates, Peter
Clavelle, Nancy Chioffi, Sandra Baird and
Mlcllael Hackett went on record regarding
lesbian and gay civil rights Thursday,
Ffibrllary 16 at a debate sponsored by the

4 Burlington Women's Council. Clavelle and

Ba1rd_ Supported the need for lesbian and
83)’ civil rights laws most strongly. Hack-
W Seemed not to understand the full extent
of the lSSll6 and dismissed it as "Let's go the
Whole nine yards." Chioffi was the only
Candidate that was against a civil rights law
for lesbians and gay men. She said that she
‘h°“8ht_ that there was no need for sepatate

, 3» Citing the protections already pro-
Vlded for underneath the constitution.
L

E

W.V.P.R has apparently agreed to
broadcast a day sponsorship message from
a listener which was originally rejected
because they deemed it controversial, pre-
sumably because of its reference to gays
and lesbians. March 4 is the day the mes-
sage will air.

The listener, Hugh Russell of
Marlboro, said he spoke with VPR Devel-
opment Director Sandy Northrop in De-
cember. She agreed to accept the sponsor-
ship for a Saturday in January - providing
the wording was changed.

Russell had originally requested that
the sponsorship read, “This day of pro-
gramming is brought to you in part by our
gay and lesbian friends in Vermont.” To-
gether with VPR, he agreed it would read
instead, “...by Hugh Russell and Charles
Bedard for their gay and lesbian friends in
Vermont.” The point perhaps being, ac-

(Stephen

&

Burns

Taft Corners Shopping
Center
Williston VT 05495

878-6413

L

hair and nail care -- cosmetics

 

March 1989

  

W.V.P.R. Update: Tune irch 4

cording to Russell, that “WE can have gay
and lesbian friends but THEY don’t neces-
sarily have to."

In January, however, Russell received
another call saying the sponsorship had
missed the printing deadline for the VPR
magazine. The agreed upon wording had
also been misplaced. They settled on
March 4. Russell says he has not yet re-
ceived any official confirmation other than
his cancelled check.

He added that in response to copies of
his correspondence with VPR sent to the
Govemor’s office, he received three re-
plies, two from Governor Kunin herself.
She encouraged him to file a complaint
with the Vermont Human Rights Commis-
sion, which unfortunately, would provide
little remedy in light of the Commission’s
decision not to investigate such com-
plaints.

 
  

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