Out in the Mountains Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alumni Return to Middlebury Middlebury g/Vb alumni and members of MGLBA (student group). Photo Hugh Coyle Hugh Coyle (Middlebury class of '83) For some, it was a milestone in Middlebury College's history of dealing with gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues. For Sandra Levine, class of 1980, it was a long-awaited and never- expected Homecoming. Like many ofthose who returned to Middle- bury College for its second gay, lesbian, and bi- sexual alumni panel on the weekend of April 3rd (the first was held in November of 1990), Levine's memories of college life hadn't yet lost their bitter edge. In a moving description of her tormented association with her alrna mater, she told of driving past the campus and never stop- ping.Whatsetherapartfi'omherclassmatesin the days when she was Middlebury's only “ou ’ lesbian on campus continued to haunt her somewhat in her post-graduation relationship with the College. All that seems to have changed as Middle- bury welcomed back sixteen of its gay, les- bian, and bisexual alumni for a weekend of “Ask me how to save on car insurance.” lfym1bnngyunhornear1dcarmauanoewAllstate,youcouldmceiveatU2ctWe savings onyoumllstatecar insurance policy.]u_st give me acall about theAllstate Multi-Line Discount It oouldreallygrveyou alrft Call Ellen Hetherington - 863-3808 A-. manage Allstate‘ Yotboingoodhands. ._;....~.z;_—.~m;-‘:;::.;.:..,.t..t.. ,»,-»,,. panel discussions, meetings with students, a} social gatherings. Many described the ev‘ as a “healing” or “curing” time, a chance them to finally dress the psychic wounds ceived as they struggled with their se identities as college students. It also offered opportunity for the group to share their‘ sights with crment students at Middlebury‘ the hopes of forming a supponive bond ‘ lasting effects. Nearly a hundred members of the Mi bury community came to hear the first p on Saturday aftemoon. Topics ranged from} brief history of the gay rights movementb parenting options available to gay men an lesbians. The four panelists also fielded questions from the audience, updating th: crowd on the current situation in the military and theorizing about the future political in pact of the growing bisexual movement. Saturday's panel focused on national issues concerning gay men, lesbians, and bisexual; though the speakers often included personal asides and anecdotes in their presentations Humor was also in abundance, particularly as Ed Weissman, class of '66, discussed Bob Dole's contentious politics. Weissman won dered if his law regarding politicians held true in Dole's case, claiming that “people who tend to have been down on home sexuals in public tend to have been down on homosexuals in private as well.” A reception and dinner followed Saturday's panel and allowed College officials fonnally to welcome the alumni back to Middlebury. Singer/songwriter Alicia Mathewson, class of '92, offered musical entertainment in the school's Garnut Room later in the evening, and a party sponsored by the Middlebury Gay, lesbian, and Bisexual Alliance (MGLBA) capped off the day. On Sunday morning, the alumni gathered with students for a private business meeting. The group discussed the role gay, lesbian, and bisexual alumni might play in the future. and also addressed logistical questions con- cerning the March on Washington. A steer- ing committee was formed to capitalize on the weekend's momentum and to develop further the prospects for a viable gay, lesbian and bisexual alumni network at Middlebury. The group also had a chance to meet briefly with College President John McCaIde1l- Though he expressed reservations about the notion of forming an alumni group based 011 a “special interest,” he did note that the Col- lege was successfully moving forward on IS- sues such as domestic partnerships and hoped to have a working plan in place by th9 end of the year.