Outright Shifts Gears

Dot Brauer

For any readers out there who are un-
familiar with Outright Vermont, you
should know that it is an exciting, or-
ganization with an exciting mission —
to make our communities and schools
safer, more positive places for gay, les-
bian and bisexual (glb) young people to
grow up in.

Just what this work entails has evolved
steadily since the creation of Outright a
few short years ago. When a handful of
people began meeting in 1988, Outright
was just an idea. Now Outright has a
strong grassroots presence in Chittenden
County that includes a lending library
with over 400 volumes and a dedicated
volunteer librarian, a drop-in center that
is open limited hours, co-sponsorship of
various local glb events, and a weekly
social support group for youth aged 14-
23. The support group provides an op-
portunity for glb young people to meet
each other, to spend time with positive
adult role models and to get accurate in-
formation about safer sex and glb life-
styles.

Equally exciting is Outright’s growing
statewide presence, which has come in
the form of a toll—free information line
and an active training and education
component. In January 1991, Outright
began operation of an 800 information
line (1-800—GLB—CHAT) that reaches
all of Vermont and New Hampshire.
This line is used by many callers during
daytime hours when staff are in the of

fice. By February, volunteers began staff-
ing the line three evenings per week.

The ongoing challenge faced by info-line
team members is the invisibility of the
glb population, youth and adult. We con-
tinue to work through these challenges to
build a statewide base of resource in-
formation and to reach glb young people
who could benefit from the service. If
you work in human services or in a
school setting, and are willing to be listed
as a resource person in your area or
would like information about our 800
line, please write the Outright Info-line
Team (see Resource page) or call 865-
9677.

Outright continues to expand training and
education throughout the state, as more
and more parents, guidance counselors
and teachers call Outright for assistance
in addressing the climate of homo-
negative attitudes in their own homes and
schools. This fall alone, Outright repre-
sentatives have made presentations on
topics related to homophobia and ad-
olescent sexuality development to stu-
dents at UVM, Trinity and Middlebury
College, and several high schools in the
state. Outright also provides training to
caregivers who work with youth at con-
ferences and workshops and hopes to in-
crease the emphasis on faculty education
in the future.

As Outright grows, so does our list of
volunteers. At this time, over fifty people

are involved in carrying out the work of
Outright, from the Public Relations/
Publicity and Fundraising Committee to
Programs and Education. You don’t have
to have any special background to be
able to help Outright make a difference
in your community. If you are interested
in getting involved, call Sylvia Racca,
our volunteer Volunteer Coordinator, at
863-9433.

Like any organization, Outright has ex-
perienced growing pains. A rather sig-
nificant growing pain will be happening
for us this month as we move and es-
tablish new offices. We need office fur-
nishings since our previous location pro-
vided much of what we needed. We are
looking for desks, chairs, lamps, shelves,
computer tables, etc. We are also looking
for miscellaneous office equipment, like
a paper cutter, storage boxes for comput-
er disks, and file cabinets. If you have
any of these items that are in good work-
ing order and would be interested in do-
nating them to Outright, please call 865-
9677, MWThF, from 1-5 pm.

Dot Brauer became the new Program
Director of Outright Vermont in Sep-
tember 1991. She completed her Masters
Degree in Psychology at Antioch/New
England Graduate School in May of '91.
She has lived and worked in the Burling-
ton area since 1986. V

January 1992

Where to Find OITM

Bormingrorr Free Library Bermjrrgrorr Northshire Bookstore Manchester Center
Brattleboro Food Coop Brattleboro Middlebury Natural Food Coop Middlebury

C a1-roots Brattleboro Bear Pond Books Montpelier

Co1ors Brattleboro Horn of the Moon Cafe Montpelier
Common Ground Brattleboro Woman Centered _ . Montpelier
Evefyone's  Brattleboro MOITISIOWH  Library MOITISVIIIC
Burlington College Burlington M0018 F158 _L1b1’31'Y _ . Newfane
Chassrnarr & Bom Burlington Northeast Kingdom AIDS Coahtion Newport

Parmers in Recovery & Growth Burlington B1'0}VI1 P1151“? Iglbfafy N0"-h_fie1d

pearls Burfingrorr Social Altematrves for Gay Men Norwich

pmmed parenthood Burlington Woman's_ Study Program Plamfreld

STEP Learning Center Castleton Pxgtney L1brar_y _ Putney

Craftsbury Public Library Craftsbury Kimball Pubhc Llbrary Randolph

Rutland Area Gay/Lesbian Connection E. Middlebury PFLAG . Rutland

Innwood Manor East Bamor Rutland Free Library Rutland
Greenhope Farm East Hardwick LUNA/NEV.G.ALR c/o Umbrella St. Johnsbury

Fair Haven Free Library Fair Haven Natural Provisions St. Iohnsbury
Buffalo Mountain Coop Hardwick r Reglonal Library g St. Johnsbury
Galaxy Books Hardwick St. Iohnsbury Athenaeum St. Johnsbury
Jon's Automotive Lyndonville Food for Thought Stowe _ _
Project EXCEL, Lyndon State College Lyndonville WRJ B0016 White R1V<’»1' JUHCUOI1