Faeries from page 1

bill. “She didn’tgo away. She didn’ttake it.
And they knew her well. More than any-
thing she personalized the issue to them.”
The morning of the vote Bancroft was
seated up front next to the Speaker's po-
dium. “Every time they looked up to debate
this bill, they saw her.”

Aside from the Bancroft incident, the
bill was less in the media spotlight than in
past years. This was no accident, according
toGoslant. The Steering Committee hoped
to defuse some of the inevitable hysteria by
keeping a low profile. Rep. Vi Luginbuhl
(R-So.Bur1) agreed to sponsor the legisla-
tion provided it was handled just like any
other bill. “I think it’s why We’re getting
greater Republican support and gaining
credibility in the Statehouse. We’re not just
there at one time, backing them into a
comer and leaving. We’ve become real
people, not just a flash in the pan.” Goslant
said.

The disadvantage of a low media
campaign is the difficulty in getting the
word out to supporters, Goslant said, “Let-
ting them know, yes indeed, lots of things
are going on. It becomes much more of a
grass roots effort when it's not publicized.”
One of the easiest ways to help out, Perdue
said, is to call the liaisons and ask what's
going ‘on, or share what you do know.
Feedback, both said, is critical.

Organizing takes up most of Perdue’s
time. “The women's community seems to
be more organized,” she said, “we can
activate networks all over the state with a
few calls to women in Addison, Burlington,
and the Northeast Queendom. Accessing

’ the men’s community is more difficult. We

don’t have the groups to contact.” Keith
agreed, “it’s more of a personal networ 

Organization and hard work paid off in
Rutland. Five area legislators voted for the
bill. “These were votes we really didn’t

. have last year,” Goslant said.

More proof that minds are being
Changed can be found, according to Go-
slant, in Sen. William Doyle's armual
Town Meeting Day Poll results which
showed 63% of respondents supporting
_S€xual,orientat:ion anti-discrimination leg-
lslation; the Vermont ETV Hotline show on
gay life on May 2 (which was ETV initi-
W1). and the increasingly vocal support of
state leaders such as>Speaker Ralph Wright
and Governor Kunin.

Both Goslant and Perdue agreed the
_°h3racter of the debate on the bill is chang-
‘"8- On one hand, legislators that used to

L

  

J. .. .\_
%

walk away, now listen. And on the other,
“We’ve taught our opponents to be more
eloquent and more tempered,” said Go-
slant, “how to present themselves in a more
credible and reasonable manner.” Neither
Keith nor Holly are completely happy with
this turn of events. “It makes me nervous.”
Goslant said, “All that anger and hate is still
there. It’s only more carefully disguised
when they’re out in public. When someone
is sitting that hard on something, you have
to wonder how and when it’s going to break
through.” '

The looming question, of course, is
now that the bill has been defeated in the
House, what's next? To that, Keith ticks off
a list of initiatives gays and lesbians have a
stake in: health insurance, expansion of the
relief from abuse laws, the vital records
bill, family leave, the removal of statute of
limitations on sexual assault of minors,

   
 
   

June 1989
. Q.’ .

hate crimes. “We need to make clear we’re
not a one issue community. All these bill
have an impact on us.”

Things to do now: Report all incidents

of discrimination to the Human Rights
Commission, the Attorney General and the
Coalition, anonymously if need be; attend
the next Coalition meeting July 7th in
South Royalton. All are welcome; use
whatever forums possible to correct misin-
formation about the true agenda of the gay
rights bill.
Both Goslant and d Perdue expressed an
interest in continuing to work as Liaisons
after September when their terms expire.
“I’m always hopeful,” Goslant said, “I
believe in miracles because I believe in
fairies.” Perdue added, “We made history
when we passed our bill through the Senate
on the first try. We’ll make it again, we’ll
pass it in less than a decade.”

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