I have always loved the out of doors,
especially the wilderness areas normally
associated with mountains. I ws surprised
after kicking down the proverbial closet
door that there was a subset of the lesbian/
gay community that felt much the same that
Ido about mountains and the out of doors.
A group did something about it, they came
out of their own kind of closet.

your are there, 13 years ago, in Index
Washington. A small town of about 300
people located deep in the foot hills of the
Cascade Mountains- populated mostly by
loggers and other backwoods types. The
news blazed through town that a gay/les-
bian group called Triangle Recreation Club
(IRC) had leased 5 acres of state forest land
for a camp ground. The response was some
what less than enthusiastic.

Today, however, attitudes could notbe
farther from what they were then. It has
even come to the point that the local,
straight-owned and operated, general store
has refused to do business with people that
make nasty comments about the ‘faggots’.
The change was because TRC supported
the community in any way they could,

A Place All Our Own. Is I

 

whenever they could.

The facility has grown to just over 55
acres including 82 campsites accessed by
about 5 miles of trails. In 1988 it provided
out door recreation to approximately 3,000
gays and lesbians from all over the North
west. The organization has grown to the
pointwere,in l988,ithad to spend$l4,000
on improvements to keep below the maxi-
mum allowable assests of a non-profit
organization.

I’m thankful that I happened to be in
the area in the late ‘70’s and again in recent
years, solcould becomepart of itand enjoy
the facility. Upon my return a few years
ago, I discover just how much I had missed
the place, the camaraderie, the brotherhood
and sisterhood.

Can something like that be done here?
Is there a group like that in Vermont? A
group of gays and lesbians interested
enough, strong enough and smart enough to
make it happen? A group to provide an in-
expensive outdoor recreational facility for
lesbians and gay men? A place all our own.

I believe that it can happen here. I
believe that the New England and eastern

March 1989

 
   

t A Dream?

Canadian community is strong enough to
make a project like this at least as success-
ful as TRC. Maybe, with some one else’s
mistakes to learn from, even better. I be-
lieve so strongly that I have started looking
for the right piece of land.

A place all our own. Does it have to be
a dream?

If interested contact: Patrick Gal-
langer, PO Box 311, Brookline NH 03033-
0311, (603)672-4831

Kwanzaa from page 1

For the future, Kwanzaa envisions
expansion with music. Reaching people
not now aware of diversities, even of their
own culture and ethnic backgrounds, but
also of other cultures, helping them to
embrace differences showing them how
much is to be gained by diversity.

Watch for notice of Kwanzaa’s up-
coming concert this month on the Calendar
page.

We ’ve got a new look
Come in and Check it out.

The Passion of Pearls

  
   

135 Pearl Street .
Burlington, Vermont

    
 

 

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