Out in the Mountains

    
   

by Rick Wold

I got a letter the other day from an old
high school friend who has lived in Califor-
nia for many years. Very occasionally we
have kept up to date on changes of address
or job. We haven’t seen each other in ages.

This letter, however, gave me a great
idea, because even though it was very per-
sonal — “Dear Rick," “Rick” this and
“Rick” that — it was obviously a form letter
that all his old friends and relatives got.

I thought to myself, What a way to
come out, all at once to all my friends and
relatives in one easy letter!

Dear *first name*,

How have things been in *town*,
*state*? Things here in northern Vermont
are going pretty darn well. Of course it is
cold, but that is tobe expected. I just wanted

 

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRA|N|NG&SUPPORT

I full service I self service

I mac—pc file conversions

I image and text scanning

I laser printing

I quality photocopies

I fax services

I great looking resumes

I color slide presentations

I mac training workshops

I professional, fiiendly service

187 St. Paul St. Burlington VT
802.863.1884

10

Coming Out in the Cmputer Age

to drop you a line, *first name*, to let you
to know what has really been going on in
my life.

As you may have noticed, (my mother
certainly has pointed it out many times), I
am not married, nor have I fathered any
children. It's not that I’m against marriage,
or kids, it’s just that... well, how do I put
this, *first name*,... I’m gay! I am still the
same basic person you have known all
these years, you just know one more thing
about me now.

So, hopefully the next time I come to
*town*, *state"‘ Ican bring my lover; he is
really a nice guy and I’m sure you’ll like
him.

Regards, Rick.

There... nice and clean, no mess, no
embarrassing moments fumbling for the

 

right words and wondering if they will
understand or, as in most cases, sort of al-
ready had figured it out. Just use a data base
and a word processor and all of your rela-
tives and friends can be informed at the
same time! And if you don’tputapicture of
Ed McMahon on the envelope, most people
will barely notice that it’s not personal,
despite the personal information contained
in the letter!

But even though I am a technology
kind of guy, when it comes to love, I am sort
of old-fashioned and romantic, so a form
letter just doesn't seem to be the right way
to tell real friends and family. It will take a
little longer the old way, and hopefully my
friends will think I’m worth the extra time
it takes to get to know the REAL me.

Planning Underway for Stonewall Anniversary

On February 2-3, 1991, the initial
planning meeting for Stonewall 25 was
held at the New York City Lesbian and Gay
Community Services Center. Over seventy
activists met to plan Stonewall 25, a month-
long series of events commemorating the
25th anniversary of the birth of the modern
lesbian and gay rights movement.

The march on Sunday, June 26, 1994,
is expected to be the largest lesbian and gay
event in history. The Gay Games IV, which
will open the day before, will attract over

12,000 athletes and 60,000 spectators from
our 40 countries.

Many other groups will present special
Stonewall 25 events, including a concert of
over 500 musicians from the Lesbian/Gay
Bands of America, a mammoth worship
service hosted by the Universal Fellowship

of Metropolitan Community Churches (of
which Vermont has a chapter, Northern
Lights), and conventions by prominent gay
and lesbian groups.

In addition, the International Associa-
tion of Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators has
agreed that those cities which usually hold
their Pride Day events on the last weekend
in June will reschedule their festivities in

1994.

To make sure that we are represented
in all our diversity and strength, the Stone-
wall 25 organizers are calling on everyone
to be in New York on June 25-26, 1994.

Morris Knight, a longtime gay activist,
summarized Stonewall 25 as “our last great
chance in this century to do something so
great, so mystical, that everyone for the rest
of their lives will be enchanted by it.”

 

Susan Franz, M.A.
Kate O'Brien, M.S.
Psycholherapists

lndlvldual
Couples
Famlly
Group

15 Pinecrest Drive Essex Junction, VT 05452 802/878-4399