Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Chris Dill’s partial apology for the anti-
homosexual attitudes of the people at
Strictly Vermont and for their prop-
aganda against us is wrongheaded, and
its appearance in OITM unanswered
would be distressing. If the people at
Strictly Vermont want to push their stu-
pid line about us, about me (for what
does that abstract word “homosexual” or
any of its comrades like “gay,” “queer,”
“lesbian,” “dyke,” or “faggot” really
mean but you and me and the way we
think, stand, and act!), let them, but I
ain’t buying their stuff, materially, in-
tellectually, emotionally, not even a little.

Do we really need to repeat to ourselves
the experiences we and the generations
before us had to endure because we want
to embrace whoever we want and be sex-
ual however we want (and I’m not talk-
ing about anything criminal now, i.e., be-
havior that violates the person or
personhood of another?)  Who the hell
are those folk at Island Pond and their
outlets to yap about how anybody makes
love and to decry other people’s pleas-
ures when (God knows!) there are few
enough of them circulating these days,
and to call us reprehensible names or tell
us what the end, purpose or form of fuck-
ing is?

To read that “hatred not hate literature led
to Auschwitz” is to observe an arrogant
ignorance and exploitative propaganda at
work that can bring tears....The function
of such literature is to make its victims,
(Jews or homosexuals) humanly un-
acceptable. I am not prepared either to be
humanly unacceptable or to accept this in-
sulting attitude of the Island Ponders as
understandable, unless by “under-
standable” is meant trying to understand it
as a pathological condition that must be
understood, as a virus or a psychosis must
be, in order to see how to eradicate it.

The question is not how come we’re ho-
mosexual, nor is being homosexual
wrong or “loathsome” or “suicidal.” The
question is how come there are people
who are rigid, narrow and have a nasty
agenda for us, who express their hatred
of us or their panic at us and our ways of
being in dogmatic biblical mumbo-
jumbo? They are in the wrong. Getting
caught up in their off-the-wall word webs
and hippie facades and explaining that
“they honestly do see their actions as be-
ing motivated by love” (thank you, I
don’t need such loathsome love) is what
is suicidal. The problem is not that God
(whatever that means) deplores homo-
sexuality or that homosexuality is im-

moral or sinful but that there are people
who imagine such a God, have reared
such a morality, have constructed the
concept of “sin” and try to fill our heads
and break our spirits and kill our joys
with such dangerous nonsense.

Neil Heime
Burlington

Dear OIT M,

Thanks for the great articles on the
Hmailton custody case. We have fol-
lowed it very closely because we have a
son Co1lin’s age. The similarities were
great until the accident — an experience
we hope never happens and wish had not
happened to them. The Susans have
made a great contribution to many lives
but most of all to Collin’s. Again thanks
for giving them the space to speak to and
help us all.

C.H.
Brattleboro

Dear Out in the Mountains,

I am writing on behalf of the Vermont
Women’s Health Center to thank you for
consistently listing us in the Health Re-
sources section of OITM. The Vermont
Women’s Health Center is committed to
providing quality obstetrical and gy-
necological services to all women. We
strive to keep our services cost-
accessible, accepting Medicaid and Med-
icare for all of our services, maintaining
a sliding fee scale, and subsidizing ap-
proximately $50,000 per year in services.
Your support is greatly appreciated as
we reflect on the past year and greet the
New Year.

Sincerely,

5ue Chandler

Vermont Women’s Health Center,
Burlington

February 1992

Dear Editor,

I am absolutely enjoying Out in the
Mountains. I feel the articles are inter-
esting, moving and real. I especially feel
that Larry Wolf does an unbelievable
job!! (By the way, he’s my brother!!)
Keep it going OITM!

Kathy Geller

Dear Out in the Mountains Editor &
Staff,

My December issue of OITM was wait-
ing for me when I arrived home for the
long Thanksgiving weekend. I have a
huge stack of yet-to-be read journals and
newsletters in my living room, but your
paper never reaches that pile. As usual,
the minute I look at OITM, I have to read
it from cover-to-cover. I am already look-
ing forward to the January issue.

The December paper was full of great ar-
ticles! I especially appreciated the factual
and personal coverage of the Hamilton
custody case and Howard Russell’s Re-
flections on a Campaign. I love reading
Dykes to Watch Out F or and checking
the calendar for upcoming events. I am
always infonned, inspired and en-
tertained by your fine balance of articles
and reviews. You are also doing an ex-

cellent job of representing both lesbian
and gay concerns.

Thank you all for your incredible com-
mitment to publishing a high quality
newspaper! I am encouraging friends to
support OITM by subscribing and writing
articles to keep the paper hopping!

With Appreciation and Respect,
Lucy Gluck
Burlington V

Submitting
a Letter

OITM welcomes letters to the Ed-
itor and will withhold your name or
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Letters maycbe edited for length or
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