Out in the Mountains Announcing the Opening of ARANOFF /\'I"l‘<)l{l’\ll.".‘(»'4 /\’I' I.../\VV UPSON Dedicated to Serving the Needs of the Lesbian and Gay Community GENERAL CIVIL PRACTICE V Susan L. Aranoff Lisa A. Upson 13 STOWE STREET 2B, WATERBURY, VERMONT 05676 802.144.1170 GOLDEN THREADS a Contact publication for lesbians over 50 and women who love older women. Canada and U.S. Confidential, warm, reli- able. For free information send self—ad- dressed envelope; (U.S. residents please stamp it). Sample copy mailed discreetly, $5.00 (U.S.S) PO. Box 3177, Burlington, VT 05401 HELP WANTED! Vermont CARES is looking for one gay or bisexual man and one woman to run the Safe, Sexy and Sane program. This program will be used to educate small group of gay men and others about safe sex and risk reduction. For more information, call: Vermont CARES, 1-800-649-2437, or in Burlington, 863-2437. 10 B (frompage I) Winston put it, “to cover their asses.”) The office called Winston and said that it was a clear violation of the University of Ver- mont’s non-discrirnination clause. He then went to the Vice President of Student Af- fairs and the Affirmative Action office. However, the sanctions imposed were “nothing more than a slap on the wrist,” said Winston. For two years, the brothers must educate their pledges about homo- phobia. ‘‘It has nothing to do with the pledges; they (the brothers) need educa- tion. It is discrimination and they can't be allowed to do it again. UVM has the duty to ensure that.” To accomplish that, Winston believes that the fraternity “needs to go through a rigid process of education about homopho- bia so that there would be no grounds for negative attitudes and fear." At this writ- ing, the case is under appeal through the Affirmative Action office. The whole incidentpromptedwinston to come out publicly. Before, he was out to friends — not for political reasons but more for personal reasons. Acacia changed all that. “I believe firmly in activism. I was told that I wasn't human enough. It stirred something in me to come out.” The reaction has been positive for the most part. His roommates have been “over- whelmingly supportive.” He has not lost any friends. His family is ooncemed thathe has opened himself up for a lot of bad experiences, but they are not angry. There have been letters to UVM’s student paper, the Cynic, that expressed homophobic opinions. Winston himself has been approached by people saying hateful things and has received enough harrassing calls to have his number changed. Despite all that, he said, “the good outweighed the bad.” To try to make UVM a more open- minded community, Winston believes that more education is necessary. “These are skills (people) learn,” said Winston. “They have to deal with people (who are) differ- ent. They have to accept them as they are and not as they make them.” For Winston, coming out has “defi- nitely” been positive, both for himself and for the UVM community at large. “It has helped me to be more confident,” he said, “and to accept that part of myself. It has forced people to deal with something that they’ve heard all their lives.” Also, by making the case more public, he has alerted everyone to the types of discrimination gay men and lesbians face daily. For that, we can all be grateful.