Out in the Mountains

 
   

Wet,  a  (frompage I)

while there was less use this year of the
typical chants that erupted from Pride Day
marchers in the past, this crowd was far
more vocal, bursting into applause and
cheers as passing cars tooted their horns
and onlookers waved in return. One of the
many highlights of this parade was the first-
time appearance of a baton-twirling cheer-
leader weaving in and out of the march to
strains of Jimmy Somerville's "Read My
Lips (Enough is Enough)." Hundreds of
shoppers and businesspeople poured out of
offices and shops to see the lengthy parade
pass.
Back at the State House, Pride Day
organizers (led by Ronnie Bancroft) de-
cided to brave the weather and proceed
with some of the addresses scheduled for
the rally. As the weather slowly cleared,
microphones were set up and hundreds of
Pride supporters received greetings from
Governor Madeleine M. Kunin (see page
8), Coalition Co-Liaisons Holly Perdue
and Keith Goslant, and representatives
from many of the groups in attendance.

Senatorial candidate Howdy Russell
roused onlookers the most when he spoke
about the need to shift emphasis in the
decade of the '90s, from standing outside
the State House toward moving inside,
taking the community's agenda more force-
fully to the General Assembly. Applause
and cheers burst from the crowd as he noted
that "We've given them enough time to
consider our issues. Now it's time for them
to act." Russell set what onlookers called an
"important new tone" as he noted that our
issues and initiatives merge with a greater
progressive demand for individual and
community rights and protections in a
larger context of concern for education, the
environment, and development for the
state.

Senator Sally Conrad, who was
warmly received for her bravery in staying
through the ugly weather as much as for her
constant support of the community in re-
cent years, made important note of changes
in political and social trends through the
course of her life. Carefully noting the
recent movement of religious groups into
political issues such as abortion and civil
rights, Conrad warned against inclusion of
intolerance and doctrinaire points of view
in the social fabric of the coming years.
Herself a target of hostile comments in the
past because of her pro-choice stance on the
abortion issue, Conrad used her appearance

10

to demonstrate her continuing advocacy of
inclusive policies in the social and political
environment of the state.

While Pride Day celebrants enthusias-
tically greeted speakers from groups that
have been working in the community in
past years such as P-FLAG, the Vermont
C.A.R.E.S. Cabaret Players, Out in the
Mountains staff and Gay, Lesbian, and
Bisexual Veterans in Vermont, very warm
applause greeted speakers from some of the
newer groups.

The presence of Outright Vermont, a
group working in the community of gay,
lesbian, and bisexual youth, and Mansfield
Bucks, Vermont's men's leather commu-
nity, as well as other individuals and groups
appearing for the first time, gave credit to
suggestions that the community of gay,
lesbian, and bisexual people in Vermont is
organizing, mobilizing, and publicly pro-
claiming their identities more than ever
before. One on-looker, who noted that she'd
attended Pride Day events for six years in
Vermont, said "I just can't believe how

many new groups are setting up and staying
around long enough to make a difference.
It's like there's a growing intention around
the state to lay claim to Vermont being ours
as much as anyone else's."

Another important moment at the rally
came when emcee Ronnie Bancroft men-
tioned that visitors to the event had come
from as far as Quebec and California, with
many visitors and friends from New Hamp-
shire. While organizers made no attempt to
nail down the specifics, many people
mentioned how delighted they were at the
number of people who braved the elements
to come from distant parts of Vermont,
including large contigents from Brattle-
boro, Rutland, and the Northeast Kingdom.

Following the rally, hundreds of Pride
Day participants remained in town for a
series of events spread throughout the day.
Louise Brill presented a dance event billed
as a "Waltz-Instruction Class" (one of the
oft-repeated comments of the day being
debate about which partner would lead...)
(continued on next page)

TED BOHN

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