Out in the Mountains

Letter From The Editor:

Welcome to Fantasy ls|and...Now what?

Fred Kuhr

WINOOSKI -- No, I am not a native
Verrnonter. Just ask any native and they’ll
tell you that they are a dying breed. Ever
since my partner and I moved to the Green
Mountain State, I have heard the word
‘flatlander’ used in my direction a number
of times, but I don’t mind. If you have
something precious and beautiful, the
desire to protect it is an understandable
reaction. After all, the aspects of Vermont
that make it special to natives are what
lured the two of us as, well as other gays
and lesbians, here.

Vermont is a very spiritual place — the
beauty of its mountains and lakes are
custom—made for a feeling of
interconnectedness with the Earth and all
its elements. Its size is ideal — big enough
to feel like you are part of a greater whole
yet small enough to retain a sense of
dignity, privacy, and individuality.
Politically it’s bizarre — Vermonters elected
the U.S. House of Representatives’ only
Independent (read Socialist) and yet
celebrate the true meaning of
conservatism. Vermont promotes an
appealing mixture of allowing residents to
live life as they see fit while always being
there to help a neighbor and work for the
common good.

Perhaps that is why so many gays and
lesbians choose Vermont as their home.
After all, Vermont just became the first
state in the country to offer domestic
partnership benefits to state employees.
And even when a shocking tragedy occurs,
such as the recent Vermont CARES arson,
Vermonters banded together as a show of
force sending out a message that this kind
of violence is unacceptable.

But if you think that I am Mr. Rourke,
your host, and that this is Fantasy Island,
think again. Many of our gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered brothers and
sisters, young and old, wrestle with coming
out issues on a daily basis. The
continuous act of coming out is made that
much more difficult by the fact that
Vermont is the most rural state in the
country — a place where you cannot blend,
unnoticed, into urban invisibility.

Even though many Vermont employers
offer domestic partnership benefits, most
do not. Of those that do offer such

2

benefits, some have criteria that are
unreasonable and hard to meet. And some
employers keep such files alongside other
personnel files so supervisors have access
to information many employees would
rather keep, or need to keep, private.

AIDS still touches the lives of friends and
lovers all around the state, the country,
and the world.

So where does this leave us?
Communication and connectedness are
the keys. Isolation, and the closet, are our
enemies. Two of the most empowering
events for me over the last year were the
Conference held last December by the
Vermont Coalition of Lesbian and Gay
Men (now known as the Vermont
Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights)
and the Pride Day celebrations in June.
But let’s not limit ourselves to two days a
year at events that require excessive
travel for some.

I believe that Out In The Mountains is
part of the answer. I implore you to do
your part to truly make this newspaper a
voice for our community. Write that
“Letter to the Editor" you keep putting off
for another day. Make your thoughts
known by responding to the question
posed in the new monthly feature
“Opinions in the Mountains". And if you
have an interest in writing, please consider
becoming a staff writer for OITM. Those
living outside of Chittenden County are
especially encouraged. Let’s make this a
newspaper for ALL of Verrnont’s gay
and lesbian community.

Remember, you can always contact me
by writing to OITM at P.O. Box 177,
Burlington, VT 05402. For those who
have Internet access, you may reach me
at OutVermont@ aol.com.

The second time my partner and I visited
Vermont, we stumbled upon OI'I'M at the
Northshire Bookstore in Manchester. I
was so excited that I brought it back to
our room and read it cover to cover. I had
not been introduced to the community
here yet, but discovering and reading
OITM made me feel connected. At that
moment, I decided I wanted to move
here. I want to thank all those who were
part of OITM at that time and hope that
you will consider reaching out through
OITM to inspire others.