_ ,_..__._ "©1995,outin_ttre.Mo:untains. I ’ Q bians, .b_i,s,exuals,:and,Iour ‘ ’W_e;wtlt_not_i any.'materia| ’ All materials submitted. H. mustbe Out in the Mountains establishiedg in) 1986 7 ‘ ~ — 7 Editor: Fred Kuhr i Business Manager: Steven West Staff Members: Hugh Coyle David Grist ' Ellen Bruce Howden Bennett Law Moira Paul Olsen Fred Pond Kip Roberson .cletanq_ Selby . Flev. Miki’Thoma’s '~‘ ‘7:~r:.=.: Chris Tebbetts Mathew Viens Out In rue“ litaumains (Iss_N 1081:5562) is published monthly except.“ tor combined -.I"ulv1At!9ust:i§su. . ' -'~ ,~. -my - SA‘ > Wnooski Avenue. in ”““‘ Our maiing is»P0,Box’177,' VT 15402. Our e-ma‘_i_l address , j ’ «is g Outileri-Z for the ‘mains is’ paid ‘at .arerseoperyearwin=tn.tr-eunised nu.‘ ._ Statemen. .9 _t_ot A tains is a voice for gay are fits?" ' which is eve , anti-9Semit§c;’Ia_gers_t, homophobic. H signed. However, within the pag- es of the newspaper, articles may appear anonymously.-9999 request, and strict. confide_ritial- ' ity will be observed. - L To Submit Articles ' ..&mmw'_ _; We encourage and implore our . readers to do what they can -to make 01TMa_paper both for and j by say. l¢sbian;‘;:'and ;bl9°"“°' .. Vermonters. Plea assistyfi‘-bv. From the Editor: A Question of Queer Fred Kuhr Back in November, the over 500 participants of the Vennont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights‘ (VCLGR) second annual conference were given the opportunity to come up to one of the microphones placed around the auditorium to speak their minds. One of the issues debated was the appropriateness of the conference's name - A Queer Town Meeting. One person said, "I like ‘Queer Town Meeting‘ because it's very quick and easy, and there's a sense of politicalness to it. There's also a sense of ‘Yeah, damn it, we're different!" Another attendee stated, "I have a friend I told (about) the Queer Town Meeting. He said, ‘I hate that. Why do you have to say (queer)?' I said, 'Well if we use that word, it's not going to be used against us." Smiles, nods, and intermittent applause were evidence of the crowd's approval. When the issue of whether or not VCLGR's name is exclusionary to bisexuals and transsexuals, one soul stood up to offer the word ‘queer’ as a substitute for the laundry list of sexual minorities. A quick raising of hands gave this idea an overwhelming N 0. Fast forward to Keene, NH, this past February, site of the New England—wide g/l/b conference "Affrrrning Every Person". In my conversations with other Vermonters, one mentioned that the word ‘queer’ makes him very uncomfortable because of its connotations of "oddness and peculiarity". He said that although he identifies as gay, the word ‘queer’ is so distasteful to him that he did not attend the Queer Town Meeting. On June 3, the statewide g/1/b community will once again come together to not only empower itself and each other but also to show the world (or at least unsuspecting Church Street Marketplace shoppers and Marselus Parsons fans) that we take pride in who we are personally, socially, and politically. Unfortunately, that queer word has reared its little head once again in the theme of this year's Pride Day — Queers and Friends Fight The Right — and a part of the state g/l/b community will stay home. "I don't look at 'queer' as being a negative word," said VT Pride Committee member Jennifer Muncil during a recent phone interview. "If we use the word, we are letting the world know that they're not hurting us. (The word) loses its impact." She also explained that many in the g/l/b community still suffer from internalized homophobia. In order to combat this for herself, she proudly says, "I am queer, and I am more than proud to be queer." Although Muncil admits that she can only speak for herself, she said, "You accept ('queer') as a negative, or you accept it as (just) a word." Peter Thomas, also of the VT Pride Committee, spoke from a slightly different perspective.‘ " ('Queer') doesn't bother me, but I am sensitive to the fact that it does bother others. Five years ago," he admits, "it did bother me." He sees the reason for the word popping up in community event names is the perspective of the organizers. If you have a small group of people who have been actively out for a long time, Thomas explained, "the sensitivity to certain ideas, words, (and) events go away." He did apologize, however, to those who are offended by the theme, "Our intention was not to alienate." Personally, I can usually appreciate the word 'queer' used in a humorous or ironic context. To me, "Queer Town Meeting" was a perfect name — it took a Vermont tradition and turned it on its head. I must admit, however, that I am still not totally comfortable with "Queers and Friends Fight The Right". This’ is too serious and forceful a theme to be mired in the 'queer' muck. I do not identify as 'queer' — I am gay. So in a way, I am inadvertently excluded from the theme. Does this mean I will not attend Pride activities? Certainly not. But I will offer a challenge to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals across the state. Part of the pride and celebration of our community is its diversity. To those who identify as 'queer', please remember that the word offends even those in your own community. To those who do not identify as 'queer', speak up! Show up at Pride Day. Talk to others in your community. Write a letter to the editor. Or better yet, get involved. This is your community — whatever word you use. And to those who I have either angered or confused, go watch The Brady Bunch Movie. Now that’s queer! V Letters to the Editor 9 out of 10 surveyed I'm one of the two transsexuals who (was featured) in the (Rutland Herald/Montpelier) Times Argus on Jan. 15, 1995. I read your story in the Feb. 19, 1995 (issue). You make the statement that OITM represents the transgender community. I don't think so. You see, I have two issues (of OITM) and nowhere are we, the transgender community, mentioned. As far as stereotyping, it still goes on within the gay and lesbian community, I'm sorry to say. If you were to conduct a survey of gay men, 9 out of 10 would not have anything to do with us, and 8 out of 10 women wouldfeel th same way. That's all I have to say. ‘ Julie A. Maynard Newport ***** Balloon Buster Are you aware that you printed some inaccurate information in the April "0ITM Roundup"? The paragraph was titled "Well, everyone knows that already," and it referred to a study which found that individuals with Gender Identity Disorder are considered to be more attractive than others. The article stated that people with GID are boys who adopt feminine traits and girls ‘who adopt masculine ones, and concluded that therefore gay men are more attractive than straight men. In actuality, Gender Identity Disorder is the clinical term that psychologists use to identify "transgendered" individuals. Often, people with GID become transsexuals. GID describes a person's internal sense of being another gender. It therefore has to do with gender identity — NOT sexual orientation (although some people with GID are g/l/b). Sorry to burst your balloon. Anna Myers-Parrelli Burlington ***** A Friend Just a fellow Verrnonter wishing you folks luck! Although I am ‘not a targeted reader, I have read your publication in the past. Keep going! 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