VERMONT'S NEWSPAPER FOR LESBIANS, GAY MEN, AND BISEXUALS

 

Volume IX, Number 4

June, 1994

Dean Appoints Lippert to Vermont House

 

Left to Right

Photo by Enrique Peredo

Donald Milne, Clerk of the House; Williant Lippert; Ralph Wright, Speaker of the House

Following the resignation of Chuck Ross
(D—Hinesburg) on April 1 to work for
Senator Leahy, Governor Howard Dean
appointed William Lippert to fill the
vacant seat.

On April 4th , Hinesburg Town Democratic
Committee recommended three names to
Governor Dean for consideration; Diane
Gayner, Ed Feidner and Lippert. After
interviewing all three, Dean appointed
Lippert on April 11 to House Representative
for District Chittenden—6 (Hinesburg).

Lippert, who moved to Vermont in 1972, has
been a resident of Hinesburg since 1980. He
has been a member of the Hinesburg Town
Democratic Committee since 1985, and
serves on the Chittenden Democratic
Committee. Lippert was elected a Hinesburg
Justice of the Peace from 1985-1988,
actively serving on the Hinesburg Board of
Civil Authority.

Since 1973, Lippert has been employed by
the Counseling Service of Addison County,

Inc. in Bristol and Middlebury, where he has
served as the Executive Director since 1985.
He has served on the Board of Directors of
Vermont CARES since 1989. Lippert is a
member of the Vermont Council of
Community Mental Health Services, and
served as President from 1987-1989. He is a
founding member of OutRight Vermont and
of the Addison County Battered Women’s
Project. He currently serves on the
Govem0r’s Council on Mental retardation.

Most recently, Lippert was elected
Co-Chair of the Vermont_Coalition of
Lesbians and Gay Men at the coalition
conference last December.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Lippert
received a BA in -History from Earlham
College in Indiana and an MA in Counseling
Psychology t in 1979 from Antioch
University’s New England School of
Professional Psychology in Keene, NH.

Watch for 0ITM’s interview with
Representative Lippert in next month ’s issue.

arlrsrrrg‘ 

JUN 14 1994
An anti—disc b" 

   
     

Senate on Thursday, April 21. House Bill
#1432 easily passed the House in
February by 95 vote margin, and
indications were that the liberal Senate
would pass it also. But not this year——the
Senate voted to kill the bill which would
protect homosexuals in housing and
employment. Supporters led an emotional
but losing battle, failingto convince two
undecided senators that current state law
does not protect homosexuals from
discrimination; The vote was close, 13-10,
to reject the change. The two senators,
Republican Richard Russman and
Democrat Ann Bourque didnot take a
firm position on the bill, and supporters
believed the two were in favor of the bill
but worried it might hurt them politically.
“I think it is already covered by law,” said
Russman after the vote, reflecting the
view of the conservative Republican
Governor Stephen Merrill.

Earlier in the week, Attorney General
Jeffrey Howard said, “It is my view that
the anti—discrimination statute can be used
to reach conduct that in essence based on
sexual orientation.” But lawyers on both
sides said the statutes apply only to acts of
bias against someone because of their
gender, not because of their sexual
orientation. The Merrill administration
continues to assert the current law covers
sexual orientation discrimination——and a

V recent case involving a truck driver may

test the Governor's promise to protect
homosexuals from discrimination. The
I:rucker filed a complaint March 3 after his
application to be rehired was shredded in
the presence of other employees.

Continued on page 11