Opening Doors to Understanding

Dot Brauer

On May 4, 1992, 59 people gathered at
Cortina Inn in Mendon, VT, to open a
new chapter of history in Vermont. For
the first time in Vermont, an alliance of
educators and representatives of agen-
cies that serve youth gathered at a con-
ference sponsored by the Department of
Education and spent an entire day talk-
ing about the need for better support of
gay, lesbian and bisexual youth in our
schools and communities.

The keynote speaker, John Yoakarn of
the University of Minnesota Adolescent
Health Program, spent the morning sen-
sitizing participants to the experiences of
gay, lesbian and bisexual youth, pro-
viding statistics from the Minnesota
Youth and AIDS Project showing that by
the senior year in high school up to 6
percent of youth are sexually active with
same sex partners. Following that, Out-
right Vermont presented a panel which
included a member of the Lake Cham-
plain chapter of Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays and two young peo-
ple, one a graduate of Saint Michael’s
College and one a Burlington High
School student, Monica Schaner. Monica
said about her experience of the confer-
ence, “Although it was my first confer-
ence, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I'd
be. I came to realize that there are some
people who care. Those who were in the
Department of Education were appalled
at my experiences in school and stated to
me after the panel that some things were
going to change. I now feel better that
maybe by going to this conference and
telling my story I made it easier for those
who follow.”

Eric Nichols, Board Chair of Outright
Vermont, began the afternoon with a
guided imagery exercise. Participants
spent the rest of the afternoon in small

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groups planning how to make changes in
their schools and communities and shar-
ing ideas and resources among the whole
group.

Participants included representatives
from Hanover High School, Browns Riv-
er Middle School, Cannan Memorial
School, Fair Haven Union High School,
Central Elementary School, Lamoille Un-
ion High School, Wilmington High
School, Burlington School District,
Montpelier High School, Milton High
School, People’s Academy, South Bur-
lington High School, Springfield High
School, Mt. Abraham Union High
School, Beeman Elementary School,
Vergennes UESD #44, North Country Jr.
High School, Addison Northwest Super-
visory Union, Burlington High School,
Mt. Anthony Jr. High School, and Barre
City Elementary High School. The agen-
cies represented included Outright Ver-
mont, the Vermont Depamnent of Ed-
ucation, the Agency of Human Services,
Planned Parenthood of NNE, the Family
Unity Service System, and theUniversity
of Vermont Wellness and Promotion.

The conference was considered an over-
whelming success as a first step by the
participants, the organizers and the De-
partment of Education. Outright organiz-
ers are encouraged about the prospect of
creating an ongoing advisory network of
educators and service providers through-
out the state. The conference planning
committee will be meeting this summer
to begin talking about next steps.

For more information about the confer-
ence and what can be done in your local
school, contact the Vermont Department
of Education or Outright Vermont, PO
Box 5235, Burlington, VT 05402, (802)
865-9677. V

July/August 1992

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