Eight Murders in Montreal Terje Anderson Law enforcement officials in Montreal are stymied in their in- vestigation of at least eight murders of gay men in the last year. They believe the murders are the work of a serial killer. Responding to complaints from gay community groups that they have not paid sufficient attention to the murders, Montreal hom- icide investigators in early November called in a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) specialist in serial crime profiles, at- tempting to develop new leads in their search for the killer. Concern has been growing in the gay community recently as news of the murders has spread. Many gay men are adopting new habits in response to the threat, reporting that they are exercising more caution about going out at night by themselves, avoiding isolated cruising areas, and not going home with unknown sexual partners. “People are scared,” related one long-time Montrealer, “and the sense of fear out in the bars is growing every week. Sometimes it’s all people are talking about. Folks are still going out, but you don’t see them walking on side streets in the Village by themselves at night.” In addition to the eight murders, which they feel are connected, police are planning to re—open the files on older unsolved mur- ders of gay men to see if they may be related. Montrealers stress that these killings are not random acts of street violence, but instead cases where it appears the murderer was able to get the victim alone, usually at home. Police are advising gay men to be cautious about situations which may make them vulnerable to this kind of attack. Combined with last year’s violent confrontations between the po- lice and the gay/lesbian community and the increasing numbers of racist and homophobic attacks by skinheads in the city, many normally complacent gay and lesbian Montrealers are expressing concern about the threat of violence. Street patrols, whistle dis- tribution, public education, and counselling services for victims of violence are being organized by activist groups. V Where to Find OITM Bennington Free Library Bennington Brattleboro Food Coop Brattleboro C ahoots Brattleboro Colors Brattleboro Common Ground Brattleboro Everyone's Books Brattleboro Burlington College Burlington Chassman & Bern Burlington Partners in Recovery & Growth Burlington Pearls Burlington Planned Parenthood Burlington STEP Learning Center Castleton Craftsbury Public Library Craftsbury Rutland Area Gay/Lesbian Connection E. Middlebury Innwood Manor East Bamet Greenhope Farm East Hardwick Fair Haven Free Library Fair Haven ‘ Buffalo Mountain Coop Hardwick Galaxy Books Hardwick Jon's Automotive Lyndonville Project EXCEL, Lyndon State College Lyndonville December 1991 The Passion of Pearls... December 6 Women’s Buffet Dance Buflet by Dinner to Go $5.00 5-9 p.m. December 12 Juice Bar - 18 & Older $3.00 cover 9 p.m. December 19 Pearl’s Christmas Extravaganza Tree Triming 5-8 upstairs Hors d’ oeuvres & Christmas Cheer Vt. CARES Cabaret downstais $5 .00 8:00 p.m. December 21 Ladies Lounge Dance ‘ $1.00 7-10 p.m. December 31 New Years Eve at Pearl’ s $10.00 Womens’ Cocktail Party 6—8.'30 Downstairs at 8:30 Pearls 135 Pearl St. Burlington, Vermont Northshire Bookstore Manchester Center Middlebury Natural Food Coop Middlebury Bear Pond Books Montpelier Horn of the Moon Cafe Montpelier Woman Centered Montpelier Morristown Centennial Library Morrisville Moore Free Library Newfane Northeast Kingdom AIDS Coalition Newport Brown Public Library Northfield Social Alternatives for Gay Men Norwich Woman's Study Program Plainfield Putney Library Putney Kimball Public Library Randolph PFLAG Rutland Rutland Free Library Rutland LUNA/NEVGALR c/o Umbrella St. Johnsbury Natural Provisions a. St. Johnsbury Regional Library‘ St. Johnsbury St. Iohnsbury Athenaeum St. Johnsbury Food for Thought Stowe WRJ Books White River Junction