Out in the Mountains

New Mayor  
(Cont from page 1)

OITM: Was your opposition related to
any thoughts or beliefs you have about
gays or lesbians? ‘

Brownell: No, absolutely not. I was ac-
cused certainly during the campaign of hav-
ing opposition to the gays and lesbians as
well as hating children as well as hating
art...Some people accused me of hating wom-
en, so here I am, homophobic, but I also don’t
like women either, I guess. I don’t know of
anything I’ve done in my life, either per-
sonally or professionally that would lead any-
body to believe that I harbor any ill feelings or
sense of, I’m not sure what the right word
is...but I have no problems

OITM: Prejudice?

Brownell: Absolutely none at all. Many
people I have known who have been good
close friends, particularly in college, have
been fiiends whose lifestyles were much
different than my own.

OITM: Given the tone of the Republican.
National Convention, and the fact that
you’re a Republican, I’d like to know to
what extent you are or are not aligned with
the stuff about gays and lesbians that was
voiced at the convention from the likes of
Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan.

Brownell: Not at all. One of the things that
is encouraging about this election, and I’m
talking also about Jeff Wennberg’s election
down in Rutland, is that here are two cases
where Republicans were elected to posi-
tions of Mayor in two of Verrnont’s largest
cities, both cities fairly liberal cities, Dem-
ocratic cities. I’m very excited and I think
Jeff is as well about trying to move the un-
age of Republicans away from the image
that was presented at the national conven-
tion, away from the image that was pre-
sented by a number of statewide can-
didates in the last Vermont election. Most
of the Republicans that Jeff and I know
and deal with are very moderate people.

Every political party has their spectrum.
Every political has people that are at op-
posite ends, and I think that both Jeff and I
are very much in the center of the spec-
trum of Republicans, certainly not way at
the right end but not at the extreme liberal
end either.

OITM: I think that some people in the
community are afraid that, from the do-
mestic partners thing, and the fact that cer-
tainly there was some homophobia playing
a part in that, and the Republican umbrella
as it looks now, I think people are afraid of
a backlash.

Brownell: I understand. In terms of my
term as Mayor, there should be no reason
to expect that. I will do everything I can to
continue whatever policies exist in terms
of the city’s policies. I was asking Peter
[Clavelle] exactly what his policies were to
make sure that I didn’t change something.
He and I talked and there’s no reason for
me to change anything, that I know of. The
Republican connection and the fact that I
ran as a Republican, I’ve always run as a
Republican, in the early 80's, the fact that
that issue [gay and lesbian] was there, it’s
not something I brought up. I didn’t place
that issue on the table.

OITM: What is your reaction to what’s
happening with the Community Based Po-
lice and the gay and lesbian community?

Brownell: Certainly communication with
the local police department, and under-
standing, has got to be one of the most crit-
ical elements of a program of under-
standing. Not just in terms of the gay and
lesbian community but in terms of the
Vietnamese Community...there are an aw-
ful lot of communities that are starting in
Burlington now that are foreign to Burling-
tonians in terms of Vietnamese, Carn-
bodians, and there’s going to be an in-
creasing need for understanding, an
increasing need for communication and

tolerance. Certainly in terms of having the
local police officers develop that under.
standing first and set an example is critical

OITM: Are you aware that there’s vi.
olence against lesbians and gays on the
streets of Burlington? ’

Brownell: On a daily personal basis, no.

I’m certainly aware that it’s something
which occurs in Burlington and all over the
world. I went to college in Philadelphia.l
probably have fewer gay and lesbian as-
sociations than I did when I was in school
and when I was in the military, but I’m cer-
tainly familiar with the fact that it exist:
that it is a problem, and that it’s something
we need to deal with.

OITM: Is there any particular message
you want to send out to the gay and lesbian
community?

Brownell: Other than that I hope that peo
ple will keep an open mind about the Bur-
lington administration, I don’t expect to
see, relative to the city’s historic level of

V understanding and tolerance for different

lifestyles, I expect that to continue. The
city’s encouragement for the arts I expect
to continue, the city’s encouragement for
youth programs I expect to continue. In
terms of budgetary constraints there are
some reorganizations, realignments that
will have to be taken for some period of
time. In terms of the governments inter-
personal relations with different con-
stituencies I don’t expect that to change
dramatically. I have no reason to believe
that any organization or group that felt that
they were serviced by city government
should feel that they’re going to be left out
in the cold.

OITM: I want to ask, and invite you to
come to the Gay and Lesbian Pride March
that will be happening in June.

Brownell: OK.

Janet K. Brown, MA, C. AC Jean Townsend, MA.

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