Out in the Mountains

Picketing Homophobia on Main Street

Sharon Levin

Picketing of Strictly Vermont, which ‘is
distributing what has been called hate lit-
erature in its store in Burlington, may
change how the Community, the funda-
mentalist Christian sect that publishes
the booklets and owns the store, writes
in the future.

“I was really outraged by the kinds of
quotes,” said Tom Smith, who organized
the picket, “particularly the young flesh
thing.” He was alerted by a Burlington
F ress Press article that quoted from one
of the booklets. "

“One of the most vile aspects of homo-
sexuality is the insatiable lust for new
and especially young flesh,” reads The
War is Over. Another sample reads,
“Homosexuals refer to their partners as
‘my significant other.’ What is sig-
nificant about someone who participates
and shares in a sin that makes you wor-
thy of death?”

About 20 people picketed on Sunday
November 17th. Smith, a Progressive
Coalition legislator from Burlington, re-
ceived a unanimous endorsement from
Burlington’s Progressive Coalition
Steering Commmittee. The Burlington
Women’s Council, which is calling for a
boycott, co-sponsored the protest

“I really want people to know these are
not harmless hippies - that they are
spreading hate literature,” Peggy Luhrs,
director of the Women’s Council said.
“They came to Lesbian/Gay Pride push-
ing their literature; they’re really out
there with their stuff. They’re anti-
homosexual, anti-women... enough
ground for a unanimous boycott by the
Women’s Council.” She added, “I’m
personally incensed by hate-mongering
hiding as religion."

Although members of the Community
look like hippies, they don’t believe in
live-and-let-live, but in a literal inter-
pretation of the Old Testament. From
300 followers in the early 80’s, member-
ship has grown to 1,000 wor1d—wide, ac-
cording to a store spokesperson, who did
not wan to be identified. Burlington now
has 65 members living communally.
Other Vermont communities are located
in Bellows Falls and Island Pond.

The booklets list stores in Bellows Falls
and Lancaster, NH. Everything for sale
in the stores is made by the Community’

Photo by Sharon Levin

Left to right, Oak LoGalbo, three unidentified women, Peggy Luhrs, Tom Smith.

cottage industries said a store spokes-
person. According to Luhrs, Strictly Ver-

~ mont products are also carried by some

other stores, including Maple Valley in
Plainfield.

The Commmunity is one of the few
communal families surviving the 60’s.
Founded by Elbert Eugene Springs in
Tennessee in 1972, the group was ac-
cused of brainwashing by de-
programmers who kidnapped some of
their members, according to The Gospel
Time Bomb, a book on fundamentalist
sects. “Media coverage of the de-
programmings was so adverse that the
group decided to leave Tennessee.”

They moved to Island Pond, where a
member owned property. The booklets
list communities in Massachusetts, Mis-
souri, France, New Zealand, Brazil, and
three in Nova Scotia in addition to the
three in Vermont.

“We don’t want people to go out there
and gay-bash,” store spokespeople said
after the picketing on November 17th.
Store workers invited Smith and re-
porters into the store to sit and talk.
“What we write isn’t hate literature; it’s

not coming from a motive of hatred,” a ‘

spokesperson said, separating intent
from impact. “We believe homo-
sexuality is wrong, immoral and against
the will of God. We’re not here to be
popular, but to stand on the truth.” Com-
munity members say half the phone calls
they received after the Free Press article
were in support of their stand.

Asked if they don’t think that what they
write leads to a climate of gay-bashing,
the reply was, “Hatred not hate literature
led to Auschwitz. We don’t speak hatred
or incite other people to violence. We’re
not advocating violence to homo-
sexuals.”

A store spokesperson said that they
might add that they do not encourage vi-
olence against lesbians and gays to the
next edition of their pamphlets. He also
invited people to “come and talk to us
before staging a protest.”

Smith and Luhrs plan more picketing of
the store in December. For current plans
or an update on the issue contact Smith
at 862-6262 or Luhrs at the Burlington
Women’s Council, 658-9300. V