Out in the Mountains

Join The Fight!

Suppon

The Vermont
Coalition of Lesbians
and Gay Men

in their work to pass legislation
guaranteeing equal rights to Les-
bians and Gay men in Vermont
and insuring protection for
People With AIDS and HIV+
persons. Contribute to our cause
and add your name to our mailing
list. We need your help.

ljYes, I want to be a part of
making Vermont safer for Gays
and Lesbians. Add my name to
your mailing list.

D Accept my contribution of

to help with expenses
and general coalition building ef-
forts.
See Address on VT Resources Page
Name
Address

Phone

THANK YOU!

nuetber
7ih ofthe‘
Cluded "I,
month's is
‘be moiledio "OITM
Box l77,’-7’
05402,orCéll Ellen‘ A , (80
860-1922.  ' 

 

   
  
    
    
 

 

Changes in Eastern Europe

by Ken Nabilow
Director, Russia/East Europe Studies Pro-
gram, University of Vermont

Having just retrrmed from a month's
travel through Poland, Czechoslovakia,
and Hungary, I thought the following might
interest readers of OI'I'M.

History is written almost daily in East-
ern Europe. The movement toward democ-
ratization and market-based economies is
exciting for the Free World. These changes
cause palpable electricity in the East Bloc,
the residents of which inforrnedly discuss
politics and upcoming votes in Poland and
Czechoslovakia.

But political change occasions social
change - sometimes dramatic, often dis-
turbing. As the lid of decades of Commu-
nist domination is loosened from the jar of
social and political life in Eastern Europe,
perennial problems have reappeared. Anti-
semitic and homophobic attitudes which
were forcibly quelled by authoritarian re-
gimes are surfacing.

It seems that many in the Eastern Bloc
have not yet comnected democracy and
freedom with responsibility. Disagree-
ments among political factions have given
rise to what locals describe as anarchic
activity; thus, former members of the
Communist Party have suffered verbal as
well as physical abuse. Similarly, anti-

semitic and homophobic slurs, graffiti, and
physical violence are present.

For gay men and lesbian women,
Hungary is the most open of the three
countries I visited. Currently Budapest has
but one busy, operating gay bar (mostly
male clientele); the Egyetem (University)
Cafe is located on Felszbadulas ter 1,
Budapest VII. Most meetings take place
not at this establishment, but in the baths for
which Budapest is famous. Members of the
gay community whom I met decry the fact
thatmost are still closeted and that the com-
parative openness of Budapest is not repre-
sentative of the rest of Hungary.

Czechoslovakia and Poland present a
different scenario. No bars or gay/lesbian
liberation organizations exist. (Hungary's
gay lib group, Homeros Lambda, was
founded in 1988). People are closeted and
in Poland I saw cmde homophobic and
anti—semitic graffiti in prominent locations
where one would hope that local authorities
would have removed them. (Editorial
comments left to the reader.)

Gay as well as liberal straight indi-
viduals seem dissatisfied with this situ-
ation, but indicate that like the East Bloc
economies, these problems will probably
worsen before improvement occurs.

SUBSCRIBE TO OITM! I

I By subscribing now to OITM, not only will you guarantee deliveryto your mailbox l

| (in a discreet envelope, of course), but you will also help underwrite the rising l

I costs of publishing the newspaper. We also welcome any additional contribu- I
trons you can make to support oureontinuing existence. Checks should be made

I payable to OITM and sent. along with this form, to: OITM, P.O. Box 177, l

I Burlington, Vermont 05402.
I

l Name

I Address

__ One-year ($20) __ Low-income ($10) _ Donation ($ )

one of the paper's distribution points rather than be added to the mailing list. I

I
I
: Donations are especially welcome from those who preler to pick up OITM at l
I
I