Out in the Mountains

Speaking with the Voice that We’ve Been Given
An Interview with Howdy Russell

Sage Russell

Howard Russell, whose middle name be-
came “The Openly Gay Man Running for
the Vermont State Senate” during his
campaign two years ago, spent some time
in mid-July talking to 0ITM’s Sage Rus-
sell (no relation) about his second try for
the Senate, the need for openly gay people
in politics, and the values that motivate
him. Some excerpts from that conversa-
uon.

01'1" M : Why did you decide to run again?

Howard Russell: Well, to be real honest
there are a lot of days I ask that myself
(laughs). It was a long-terrn struggle, and
finally a few months ago, in March or
April, I finally made the decision not to
full. I just decided I didn’t have the en-
ergy, I couldn’t do it. And as soon as I
made up my mind not to run, immediately
everything began turning around, and I
began to really question that decision. I
made the decision not to run and then
things began to fall into place that made
me feel like I should.

OIT M : Can you be more specific?

Russell: Certain people are not running.
Basically the openings are there. I felt like
there was a real opportunity. And people
stepped forward right at that particular
time to encourage me to run, people who
had worked on my campaign two years
ago. Having those people come forward
and say, “You know, it’s completely OK
whatever you decide, but I just want to
tell you, I would love to do it again,”
made a huge difference to me. And the is-
sues that made me decide to run the first
time, they’re still there by and large. A lot
of my work is with low income people, is
with children, is with families, and I feel
that now more than ever those people
need advocates. It’s a real scary time. I do
think there has been and continues to be a

real turning toward the right. And I think
the people who have strong beliefs about
caring for people who are more vulner-
able in our society, about civil rights,
about progressive tax reform, about ba-
sically empowering people who’ve been
disempowered, have got to stand up and
speak out.

OITM: How is this campaign different
from two years ago?

Russell: Well, it started slower, partly be-
cause we started organizing later. It’s also
very different in that I’m being taken se-
riously from the get-go this time. Last
time there were months and months of
trying to convince people that this was go-
ing to be a serious campaign. We had to
run a full-fledged campaign just to get
through the primary. Two years ago the
primary support for me to run was coming
from the gay community. This time, it
was the state Democratic party, and
county Democrats, as well as the gay
community. The Democrats were saying,
“We want strong candidates and your
name came up at the top of the list.”

OITM: Are you getting more attention
from the media?

Russell: I’m getting less attention from
the media, but it doesn’t really surprise
me actually. It’s probably because we’re
starting later. But it’s also because it’s not
the first time. I got a lot more media atten-
tion last time than other Senate candidates
did, partly because I was rtmning as an
openly gay candidate. I think partly it says
something about the movement in this
state that the media’s saying, “We’ve got
a Gay Rights Bill, we’ve got another gay
elected representative.” Sort of like, “So
what’s the big deal?” This time there are
more and more and more middle of the
road people who are saying, “Yes (he’s

gay), but I basically want to hear what
else he has to say.” Which is exactly

where we need to get to. Although some ‘

people have said, “Now that the Gay
Rights Bill has passed, are you going to
be talking about being gay?” It makes me
laugh when I hear that. As though I’m go-
ing to go back into the closet now? I think
people who wonder if I’m going to be
quieter about being gay didn’t hear what I
was saying two years ago. That it was not
just that gay people have got to come out
to pass thw Civil Rights Bill. I think the
most important message that I was giving
was that we have to speak with the voices

that we were given. That if you are a gay ‘

person and you’re not allowed to use your
life and your experience, then the power
of your message is diminished. I used it a
lot in talking about being pro-choice.
How can I talk about being pro-choice
without talking about being gay? 'I'hey’re
so interwoven for me. I’m not just a liber-
ated man saying, well of course all wom-
en should have the right to make choices
over their body. I believe that. But that
doesn’t tell where it’s coming from for
me. For me it doesn’t tell how deep it
goes.

The other piece is that I think the level of
distrust that people have toward political
people is a real challenge to people who
join in politics. Political candidates need
to let themselves be known. People have
felt so taken advantage of by political peo-
ple that they are completely distrustful. I
think that the only way through that is to
say, “I’m going to take risks with you.
I’m going to let who I am. I can’tjust tell
you what I’ll do. I have to tell you why it
is tlhat I believe that that’s the right thing
to 0...

Ten percent of the voters are gay, and
those ten percent have families and
friends and co-workers. The percentage

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