by Howard Russell
I was walking with my partner,Brian,
in downtown Burlington a couple of
months ago when I experienced the out-
landish desire to reach out and touch him, to
, hold his hand, to put my arm around him, to
openly declare the power of my feelings for
him. So what stopped me? I was scared. I
have learned well the homophobic lessons
of our culture. I know that when I walk out
{of the door of my home or his home I have
ilefta safe haven and have entered a territory
where a simple expression of love can in-
vite physical violence, verbal harassment
and a host of legal discriminatory actions. I
was afraid for myself and I was afraid for
him.
, When we got back Brian’s apartment
liar day, I shared with him what I had been
feeling and he echoed my sentiments. He
*had wanted to reach out to me at the same
time.

As we shared our frustration and anger
over this situation, we started fantasizing
about how it could be different. We imag-
tined what it might be like if we, with a

 

 

group of our friends, decided to join hands
when and where we pleased. We began to
talk about what it might be like to take a step
beyond what happens at our annual lesbian/
gay pride celebrations where we have a
rally and then march through a pre-deter-
mined parade route. What might it be like if
this year, instead of marching in the streets,
we joined hands with whomever we
pleased and walked on the sidewalks, and
into the shops and into the restaurants and
wherever we chose.

Iarn of the belief that lesbian/gay pride
marches are not an end in and of them-
selves. They are a means to an end. Perhaps
it is time that we contemplate taking the
next step. Perhaps the time is approaching
when instead of providing a spectacle for
unsuspecting onlookers (and suspecting
ones as well) we decided to walk amongst
them in a declaration of our rightful, normal
place in their everyday lives.

' Perhaps if we did this in small groups
and in large groups (whatever people
needed to feel the most safe), we could then
come back together and share what our

 

Beyond "Out of the Closets.   Streets

experiences had been. I, for one, want to
know of any negative reactions by busi-
ness-persons. If, during such a demonstra-
tion, we are asked to leave a store or restau-
rant, we can make it lmown to each other
and to our allies that our business in not
welcome there. Any entrepreneur who
does not fully welcome my presence in his/
her establishment as an openly gay man is
not deserving of my patronage as a closeted
one.

My suggesting this as a possibility is
not meant, in any way, to be critical of the
past lesbian/gay pride events. I have par-
ticipated in each one since 1983 when they
began in Vermont and will continue to
participate in whatever form they may take
in the years to come. What I am suggesting,
though, is that we consider not following
someone else’s blueprint of what a celebra-
tion of our pride should look like. I am
suggesting that we take a more independent
route and each year evaluate the most
powerful next step to our destination. A
pre-planned parade route has worked well

(Continued on page 15)

 

Women '3 Dance November 10th
$5

2 Pearls Dates:
Sunday, November 5th— Oldies But
Goldies Dance

”Lots of Women”

Pun starts at 7pm
Dance to all your old favorites
No Cover

  
   

 
  
  
  
  
 

135 Pearl Street
Burlington, Vermont