Terje Anderson

While the presidential race grabs every-
one’s attention, numerous other elections
across the country are important for the
lesbian and gay community. Among the
highlights:

The Oregon Referendum. Right wing
extremists have put a proposed constitu-
tional amendment on the ballot which
would forbid the state of Oregon (or any
city or county government in the state)
from promoting the idea that homo-
sexuality is a valid and acceptable life-
style. It would forbid the passage of non-
discrimination legislation at the state or
local level, forbid government funds
from supporting counseling or educa-
tional programs (such as AIDS educa-
tion) that treat homosexuality as accept-
able, and would require that schools and
other institutions specifically teach that
homosexuality is- evil. Passage would re-
sult in removal of gay and lesbian pos-
itive books from libraries, a witchhunt of
gay and gay-positive teachers, child care
workers, and health care and mental
health professionals, and similarly re-

strictive measures. The most com-
prehensive anti-gay measure to ever
come to a vote, it’s passage in relatively
liberal Oregon would be a chilling event
for all of us. Polls indicate a tight race. A
slightly milder version of the same idea
will be voted on in Colorado. Columbia,
Missouri and Portland, Maine will vote
on efforts to repeal existing civil rights
ordinances.

Gerry Studds re-election bid. Re-
districting has dramatically changed the
first openly gay member of Congress’s
district, and it looks like a very tight race
is in store. Losing Studds, a respected
and talented legislator who spends a
great deal of time on AIDS and gay is-
sues, would be a real loss for the com-
munity.

"The women running for US Senate

across the country. Currently only two
women serve in the US Senate, but at
least seven strong Democratic nominees

may help increase that total, buoyed by.

the emergence of choice as a key issue

September 1992

Races to Watch Across the Country

and memories of the Clarence Thomas/
Anita Hill hearings in the Senate. All of
these women are pro—lesbian and gay
and would increase the number of Senate
co—sponsors of the national civil right
bill. Key races to watch: Lynn Yeakel’s
effort to unseat Arlen Specter in Penn-
sylvania, Carol Mosley Braun’s run to
become the first African-American
woman in the Senate, and the twin can-
didacies of Diane Feinstein and Barbara
Boxer in Califomia’s unusual two Sen-
ate contests.

The high number of retirements, re-
districting, and public disgust with
Congress is expected to produce the
largest turnover ever in the House of rep-
resentatives. A record number of women
and racial minorities is expected to win
seats, although the transfer of seats to
population growth sunbelt states may re-
sult in the election of more conservatives
as well. Lobbyists are optimistic that the
new Congress will be more friendly to
our concerns than ever before. V

AIDS HOTLINES:

Vermont 1-800-882-2437
New Hampshire 1-800-752-2437
New York State 1-800-541-2437
Massachusetts 1-617-522-4090
Maine 1-800-851-2437
National 1-800-342-2437
Canadian 1-613-563-2437
AIDS Community Awareness Project
(ACAP)

PO Box 608

St. Johnsbury VT 05819
(802) 748-1149

AIDS Community Resource
Network (ACoRN)

PO Box 2057

Lebanon NH 03766

(603) 448-2220

Bennington Area AIDS Project
PO Box 1066

Bennington VT 05201
(802)442-4481 or 1-800-845-2437

Health Resource Organizations

Brattleboro AIDS Project
67 Main Street

Brattleboro VT 05302
(802) 254-4444 (Helpline)
(802)254-8263 (Office)

Franklin-Grand Isle AIDS Task Force
8 Ferris Street

St. Albans VT 05478 - (802)524-7742
1-800-638-7834

Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous
GLAA, P.O. Box 5653
Burlington, VT 05402

H.E.A.L. Vermont

(Holistic Education and

AIDS Alternatives Liaison)

PO Box 795

Montpelier VT 05602 - (802) 229-4325

Lesbian Cancer Support Group
(802) 660-8386

Northeast Kingdom AIDS Coalition
PO Box 40
Newport VT 05855 - (802) 334-2437

V Vermont C.A.R.E.S.

‘ 336 North Avenue

North Star (Holistic Health Care)
RR2 Box 3255
Morrisville VT 05661 - (802) 888-2858

Vermont AIDS Council
PO Box 275 ,
Montpelier VT 05601 - (802)229-2557

(Committee for AIDS Resources,
Education, and Services)

PO Box 5248

30 Elrnwood Avenue

Burlington VT 05401

(802) 863-2437 (Burlington)
1-800-649-2437 (Rutland and
Washington County support groups)

Vermont Department of Health
1-800-882-2437 (AIDS Hotline) or
(802) 863-7245 (AIDS Program office)

VT PWA Coalition

PO Box 1055

Brattlebbro, VT 05502
1-800-69-VTPWA or (802) 257-9277
Vermont Women’s Health Center

Burlington VT 05401 - (802) 863-1386