And it does not seem to be hurting his
career one bit. Go, Elton, Go!

3. Four Weddings and A Funeral

(Mike Newell, Director) -- By far, this
is one of the best and smartest films
of the year. And this is a special film
for gays for two reasons: 1) the main
characters, played by Hugh Grant and
Andie MacDowel1, sleep together and
then fall in love — what a recent review
in Out calls “straight romance on the
gay plan”, and 2) the only truly
maritally blissful couple in the movie
is Gareth and Matthew, the gay
lovers. The scene in which Matthew
pays a poetic tribute to Gareth shows
more truth and more love than any
movie this year. See it now!

2. Yes I Am (Melissa Etheridge) -- Yes

she is! Etheridge was one of the most
successful pop music stars of the past
year, and in article after interview
after review, she openly and honestly
discussed her sexual orientation.
“Come To My Window” is turning
i_nto one of those songs that radio
stations will be playing for years to
come, and “I’m The Only One” seems
to be following in its footsteps. She
even played Vermont twice this year.
Another strong example of how you
can be successful and out. We love
you, Melissa.

I. Stonewall 25/Gay Games -- The
most important lesbian and gay event
of the year gamered so much press
coverage on CNN and the evening
news, in The New York Times,
Newsweek, and Time, that our
visibility increased by fairy leaps and
bounds. More “middle Americans”
learned about the gay rights
movement in June than in the past two
and a half decades since the actual
Stonewall Rebellion. Vermont even
had a contingency proudly playing in
the Games. An exciting time during
an exciting year.

Have a happy and safe Christmas,
Channukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice,
Generic Holiday, and New Year’s.
MazelTov. V

December 1994

Letters to the Editor:

More Best of...Worst of...

Best Coffee House...Muddy Waters

Worst Lesbian/Gay Bar...Blairs (in Plattsburgh)

Best Lesbian Newsletter...Lesbian Connection

Worst Coffee House...Last Elm Cafe

Worst place to meet Lesbians...Plattsburgh

Best place to meet Lesbians...Women’s Nite at the Last Elm Cafe (the other six nights suck!)
Best volunteer Lesbian political cause...Women Helping Battered Women

(they do work with battered Lesbians)

Worst Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Associations...SUNY Plattsburgh and Johnson State College
Worst Social Event...Pride March (purely unpoliticalll!)

Worst Vermont Company...Vermont Teddy Bear Company (they sponsor Rush!)
Worst towns to be “out” in...St. Albans and Morrisville

Best political organizers...Judith Beckett and Paij Bailey

Worst (and scariest) place to meet Gay men...”the loop”

Jennifer C.

Burlington

Mingling with the Hets

Really annoyed that Pearls has opened up to non-Lesbians/Gays. The Hets have every barl
dance club around. Why did Pearls “sell out” and deny us the right to “our own space”.

I heard that Robert Toms (manager of 135 Pearl) said that not enough of “us”. would
drop out of the Pearls scene to make a difference. I think he should think about how
he is hurting the Lesbian/Gay community. Maybe we don’t want to become “Club
Toast” or the “Metronome”...we want Pearls, the way it is.

We don’t need to mingle with homophobic people that may, or may not, be there to
create problems for us. This leaves us a bar in Plattsburgh, which is truly awful, or the
Montreal scene.

Come on, Robert and (DJ) Craig (Mitchell), let us have our space back. The dollar
means more to you then our pride and dignity. There are many Lesbians and Gays that
will find other alternatives...besides spending time with straight people. We do that all
day and we don’t want to have to do it at night in a bar that was created for us.

C.T. Creeve
Burlington

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