March 1991 Uromprecedingpage) Mazur thinks that passage of the Hate Crimes Bill may well improve the chances of the Civil Rights Bill. When the Hate Crimes Bill passed with the tenn “sexual orientation” in it, this was the first time the Vermont Legislature had voted to extend legal protection to gay people. “With that barrier overcome, the Civil Rights Bill won’t seem so strange to people.” Mazur spends much of his time build- ing support for the bill inside and outside the Legislature. He looks for legislators willing to support it among their col- leagues. The point is to make legislators say to themselves, “If I vote for this, I’m not going to get slammed in the next election.” This is done by encouraging voters to write to their legislators in support of the bill and enlisting individuals and organiza- tions to speak out publicly on its behalf. Some of the organizations and individuals LESBIAN AND GAY JOINING CEREMONIES WEDDINGS C(® Create our own ceremony to cefegrate your love aruf proclizim your spiritual union. .’Hbnor the significance our refationsliip as you sym o[1y'ca[[y procfaim the fioruf you cfierisli. Rev. Giita Clark, ordained minister Courzsefing to resofr/e gay and fesfiian couples aruffamify issues. (jay aruffesfiian couples _ and parenting warlisfiops cyfered‘. Erica Marks, S.A.C., C.H. Partners in Recovery and Growth 182 Main Street Burlington VT 05401 (802)-865-2403 who have already done so are the National Organization for Women; the Vermont Low Income Advocacy Group; the Ver- mont Human Rights Commission; several college presidents; labor unions; many churches; and high state officials, among them Attorney General Jeffrey Amestoy, Lieutenant Governor Howard Dean, Gov- emor Richard Snelling, and former Gover- nor Madeleine Kunin. This is the last year that Vermont’s gay and lesbian community will benefit from Tim Mazur’s direct assistance on the Civil Rights Bill, as he is moving to Madison, Wisconsin, with his family this summer. However, the Vemront ACLU’s strong advocacy on this issue will not change. Mazur will be succeeded as legislative di- rector at the ACLU by Ben Truman, former state representative from Chittenden County and another active and loyal sup- porter of our community (see article in OITM, December 1990). In recognition of his personal commit- ment, effective support, and five years of effort to win civil rights protection for gays, lesbians, and people with HIV infections in Vermont, Tim Mazur was named an “hon- orary gay man” by the Vermont Coalition of Lesbians and Gay Men, a distinction he wears with pride. You can help support the Civil Rights Bill by speaking out. Write your legislators and encourage your friends, both gay and straight, to do the same. Write letters to the editor or a column for your local newspa- per. Anything you can do to make your voice heard on this issue will be helpful. If you have questions, you can call Tim Mazur at the ACLU at 223-6304. The Right to Our Rights by Rick Wold The February 6, 1991, issue of the Burlington Free Press featured an article on the Civil Rights bill now facing the Legislature. There were also some quotes from Vermont residents which indicate why there is such a need for education among the public on gay issues. Rep. Nancy Sheltra (R-Derby) states, “I feel that they’re asking for rights they already have.” And a Burlington native is quoted as saying “Race is a minority. People are born that way. Homosexuals are not born that way. It’s leamed...We’re talk- ing about behavior.” First, Rep. Sheltra is partially right. We are fighting for rights we already should have. If our government could only learn to make things simple, the way our forefathers intended, things would be fine. However, because the Constitution is open to interpretation, some do not realize that “equal rights for all” should be just that - all. There should be no need for “based on” anything — race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. There should just be equal rights. Secondly, where, may I ask, did I learn C to be a homosexual? And if I learned it so well, why did I, along with many others, start to come out only later in life, to myself and to others? What is learned isyto deny being a homosexual.What you learn is that the majority of people look at the expres- sion of love between two members of the same sex as offensive. Heterosexual couples can walk down the street hand in hand as people marvel at “how grand love is.” If a homosexual couple behaves the same way, a bigoted person is certainly not going to marvel at the joy of love. Bigotry is a learned response, directly acquired from one’s upbringing, although through education it can be overcome. What we need to learn, if we haven’t already, is that everyone belongs to a mi- nority, be it left-handedness, green eyes, brown skin, or red hair. We are all part of the human race and must overlook every- one’s minor differences and learn to make the world a better place to live in for all. It wasn’t too many years ago that “mixed marriages” were frowned upon (black! white, Jewish/Catholic). Slowly the popu- lation is learning that what matters is that two people care for each other and deserve to conduct their lives in peace and with dignity. Hopefully, the unlearning of big- otry can continue and include the homosex- ual community as well. Sure gays want to marry and raise children. Our parents did... It is part of the behavior and the values we leamed grow- ing up. And it should also be our right! 15 —