Letters to the Editor Continued from page 3 Cartoons To Watch Out For Please let me say that although we understand the purpose of your publication, the office staff and Pastor of our church (the Rutland United Methodist Church) think that the cartoons’ language and subjects are not appropriate for this kind of paper no matter what orientation you are targeting. If you are trying to educate the general public to the acceptance of people of all sexual orienta- tions we feel these are in poor taste especially for distribution in churches. We feel that were even some of our open minded members to read them, they would be turned off completely. Betey Miller Administrative Assistant Rutland United Methodist Church Rutland ***** Commission This! I attended a political forum on October l8 for candidates in the Washington County State Senate race...I...asked the Republican candidates present to please explain why the (Republican) Party wants to abolish the (Human Rights) Commission and what sys- tem will be put in place to protect the people whose rights are currently being protected by the Commission. Their responses were, frankly,...scary to me. (Senator Matt) Kraus began his response by saying that he did not now that the Party had pledged to abolish the Commission. After another member of the audience stated that she had read ‘ the 1993 Vermont Republican Party Platform and the declara- tion was, indeed, there, (Gabrielle) Hutchins insisted that there was no such item in the document.... I have since gotten a copy of the Republican Platform; on page 10, Item 11 (entitled, interestingly enough, “Liberty”), there is the sentence, “We will abolish the ‘Human Rights Commis- sion”’. (An aside, why is the Commission’s name in quotation marks in this document? Does this indicate that the Republican Party does not recognize the Commission’s existence?) At best, it is appalling that individuals running for state office do not . December 1994 know the details about their political party’s goals. At worst, two candidates for State office...knowingly lied to prospective constituents. Eherri Kaeten Montpelier ***** So Many Labels, So Little Time I attended “The Last Closet” at the Last Elm Cafe. I came away angry and feeling, my Goddess...another label!!!! Jess, the presenter, told of the “Transgenders” finally getting in- side the gates of the Michigan Women’s Music Fest and being ignored by 4,000 women eating dinner. If they didn’t look up and see the “butch women” marching through, they didn’t have to acknowledge us. She told of one woman that came screaming and yelling that the “transgenders” were making her feel male energy. The women that were dressed in flannel shirts did not create the negative energy. This screaming woman was putting out the “male energy”. We are who we are and proud of it. Michigan Women’s Music Fest has proven, over the years, to have issues of racism, age- ism, classism and now homophobia...They accept the dollars from the “transgender” dykes but turn us away when we arrive at the gates... Another grievance that I have re. some of the women that go to Michigan (sic). They are heterosexual...AKA...HETS...passing for Bisexual or Dykes. These women are “passing” and no judgement calls were made upon them by the promoters and se- curity at Michigan. Why not? They look and act het and sit back and criticize us...our flannel shirts, our leather boots, our short hair. We are not trying to “pass” for male...this is the clothing and personality we feel comfortable with. Michigan Women’s Fest should be boycotted...This one is doing more harm than good and I feel the promoters should not be so discriminatory in policy...It’s a “womyn’s only space” and we are women...I am a Lesbian, that calls herself Dyke. I refuse to promote Michigan, in any way. I resent placing another label on myself, or my sisters... Monica Stafford Burlington V ' Woodweaver Construction Residential Remodeling General Carpentry Fully Insured - Free Estimates 5 Melinda Scott Natalie Grant '_,- RR1, Box 2562, f Huntington, VT 05462 ' (802)434-5262 Romantic Cross Country & Slope-side Rooms Downhill Skiing /\/\ountain Magic Bed & Breakfast Bolton Valley 0 Vermont (802) 434-7019 Mountain Biking & Hiking Horseback Riding 19