The main goal is simply to enjoy life and
share our love of the outdoors with others.
I live in New Hampshire and, using the in-
frastructnre of Chiltem, made many new
friends within the state. Chiltem will work
in Vermont just like it did in New Hamp-
shire. I encourage your readers to join the
other eighty Vermonters and become
members. I am positive they will not be
disappointed. To get a sample newsletter
call 1-617-859-2843 or write Chiltem
Newsletter, PO Box 1063, Watertown MA
02272-1063.

Sincerely,
Michael Boievert
Manchester, NH V

Dear0ITM,

On Sunday, May 26, VT C.A.R.E.S. held
their 2nd annual Talent Show at Pearl’s.
As M.C. for the event, I have an apology
to make to the audience. For past fund-
raising events at Pearl’s that I have been
involved with, the cover charge (usually
$5) has gone to VT C.A.RE.S. I was un-
der the assumption that this was the case
for the most recent event and informed the
crowd of such. However, after the fact, I
was informed that Pearl’s new policy is to
take half of the cover charge for ftmd-
raisers. Before the organizers of the event
were aware of the new bar policy, they had
already armounced that cash prizes to the
top three winners would total $150.'I'his
means that of the $360 gathered at the door
(Pearl’s chose to only charge $3), $180
went to bar owners, $150 went to the win-
ning contestants and $30 went to VT
C.A.R.E.S.

Not all of the 120 people present that night
were there just to support VT C.A.R.E.S.,
but I’m sine a lot of them were. And to
them I apologize if I led them to believe all
of their cover charge was going to a just
cause.

Bob Bolyard V

To the Editor.

I wish to respond to a letter in a recent is-
sue fnorn Al Santerre concerning the Chil-
tern Mountain Club. As a native of Bur-
lington, currently living in Boston, I am
concerned about the negative impression
of Chiltem created by Mr. Santen'e’s letter.
Gay and lesbian Vermonters should know
that the club is much diffferent from the
way Mr. Santerre described it.

I have been a member of Chiltem for the
past six years and am currently serving on
its Executive Committee. My experiences
with this group have been very positive and
I have been impressed by many of the peo-
ple thatl have met through it. For gays and
lesbians in Vermont who love the outdoors,
Chiltem is a great way to meet other like
minded people throughout the rest of New
England. It is definitely a worthwhile or-
ganization to belong to; I urge gay and les-
bian Vermonters to consider joining.

Sincerely,
James Brown
Jamaica Plain, MA V

Dear Out in the Mountains Editor,

As the chair of the Chiltem Mountain
Club's executive committee I find it nec-
essary to respond to the dishonest attack un-
leashed on Chiltem Mountain Club by Al
Santerre in the June Letters to the Editor
section. Chiltem exists for the pmpose of
sponsoring outdoor sports and recreational
activities for gays, lesbians, and our friends.
Early in the spring of 1990 the executive
committee, by majority vote, found a trip
listing submitted by Al Santene and an-
other member unacceptable for publication
in our newsletter because the event was de-
scribed as a maple sugar party and seemed
purely ofa social nature. When I called Al
todiscusstheissueIwashungupon.Ithen
wrote to explain that their event per se was
not necessarily inappropriate but that their
description needed to better reflect the ac-
tive outdoor nature of the event if this in-
deed was the case. My letter was ignored.
SincethattimeAlandhispartnerhave
made it apoint to bash Chiltem through the
newsletters of other gay and lesbian or-
ganizations. To call us an exclusive, sexist
organization with a declining membership
is a blatant lie. Our membership has been
steadily growing and is now over 1,000. As
for the charge that the club is sexist, this is
ludicrous as the executive committee is cur-
rently made up of six men and four women.
Men are in the majority of the general
membership, but thanks to the active in-
volvement of many new women leaders the
percentage of women members is growing.
To be labeled sexist by two men who re-
fusedtodealwithmeasawomaninaposi-
tion of authority is a hollow cry. To be
smeared by those who are fellow members
of the same community is certainly a dis-
heartening experience. After all, Chiltem
Mountain Club is here simply to offer op-

September 1991
portunities for gays and lesbians to enjoy
outdoor recreational activities in the com-
pany of one another.

Sincerely,

Cindy Jatul

Chair, Chiltem Mountain Club
Executive Committee V

letter to the Editor:

She’s suddenly here, all the time. With the
dog, her dog, and her in my arms, in my
bed, with a ring on my finger, matching
one on hers. She says she’s never leaving,
like we've always been together, like we’re
always going to be together. We shop, we
clean, we cook, we laugh, we wear our
baseball caps backwards. She plays catch
with my sons while I write. I’m relaxed. I
love it. I love her deeper and deeper every
turn of the way, like a leaf floating down
the river current, having gained all its life
and letting go and going anew. We embark
on something new and something familiar
all at once.

While others march on Gay Pride Day all
over the country, I ride in her truck, hold-
ing her hand, hugging her, loving her, lov-
ing her, from my heart, so my children
swell up and feel it with me. Others carry
banners, shout slogans, while we shop in
the Grand Union deciding on supper, like a
family, like lovers, with our children.
While others dance and sweat and celebrate
their fieedom to love, we sit together and
share an evening meal.

It's all about acceptance. We have accepted
ourselves. We have accepted who we are.
We delight in our love and lust and right to
be together. I adore her as she enters my
bed all soft and warm and ready to hold
me. I laugh with her as we awake anew in
the early morning. I lean on her as we work
our way through the long day. She is my
companion, and today on Gay Pride Day, I
think not of us being diffaent, but it is in
our sameness that I revel in. It is in the ease
with which our laughter blends, the way
ourmindsshareavision,intheeaseofbe-
ing ourselves together.

I am glad for those out marching, out talk-
ing, out singing, helping to shatter myths
that restrict We in our simple course chal-
lenge disbelief. ’

Moira-
Waterbury, Vt V