Out in the Mountains reroooxur . Business Manager: r “ A Steven. west * .forras:;.,resserjr_.e. v _ » . ."‘*'.*.'*°"' ‘=’!°—'T'$... Bufinghon‘ "Our e,-rirail © 1995, Out lllountains.‘ Statement of Purpose The PU|'P0.se‘of our in the Moun- mins is to, serve as a voice for les- bians, gaymen, bisexuals, and our supportersvin Vermont. We wish the newspaper to be aesouroe, of- tnfonnation. support and tion. We also see OHM as ave-, Out In. The (rest: no aox.‘1.7r‘,* From the Editor: Pride in Pride Fred Kuhr WINOOSKI -- In 1986, the third year of Vermont's error: March and Rally, Out In The Mountains l -»“fEpofied, "The largest Vermont Lesbian and Gay Pride Celebration yet took place in Burlington on June 14. Approximately 500 people took part in the rally and parade. Speakers throughout the event referred to the celebration's theme of ‘No Turning Back!‘ Keynote speaker Gil Gerard, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, told the crowd on the front lawn of the Unitarian Church that ‘For us, there can be no turning back. We have come too far and leamed too much to ever turn back, even if we wanted to‘ Governor Madeleine Kunin and Burlington Mayor Bernie Sanders, an independent candidate for Govemor; both spoke to the rally. It was the first time either of them had attended a lesbiari/gay pride celebration contingency yet, well over 700 people, choo-chooed through the packed (Church Street) Marketplace. A accustomed to the broad, mostly deserted (Montpelier) streets, the trek through the chaotic Marketplace corridor was a sinus—clearing experience In his first official address to a Pride March, a spirited Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle welcomed celebrants to the city. He thanked the gay and lesbian community for enriching the city's cultural life and stated his wish to work with community members to create a domestic partnership policy for city employees. ‘Any politician that's not with you,’ he said, 'should be out of office."‘ Perhaps the most meaningful recollection of Pride Day came from Rep. Bill Lippert (D - Hinesburg) during last year's rally in Burlington's Battery Park. "I can remember the first Gay Pride Day there were threats at the time from people who talked about throwing rocks and stones from second story windows on Church Street. The police were actually supportive, but those of us who organized the event were quite apprehensive. We had no idea how many people would turn out and when we first went to City Hall Park for the events there were all of like five or six of us. We looked around and went, 'Oh my goodness, what's it going to be?’ But it turned out there were like 200 or 300 people that showed up. It was very, very exciting." In the year that OITM celebrates its tenth year of publication, Pride Day puts a twelfth notch in its lipstick case. In those dozen years, Pride has grown from a couple of hundred participants to well over a thousand, from one day a year to an entire week of festivities, from a bold coming out step for its original organizers to a fixture in Vennont's cultural landscape. In fact, Vermont has gained a reputation throughout New England "as putting on good Prides," according to VT Pride Committee member Jen Muncil. She said she received calls from people around the region telling her, "'Your event is not so big where it loses its personality.‘ It's a very personal event. People seem to enjoy that they don't get lost in the crowd." No one can argue the power of Pride, the way it personally empowers while showing the outside world that we are a force with which to be reckoned. The question then remains, why didn't more of us get involved in the planning and organizing of Pride. This year, the events rested on the involved, the bigger the event and the better the event. The more Committee. We can't lose this event!" When asked what she had to say to those who have not been involved in the planning of Pride, Muncil said, "I think everybody needs to knowthat if they want the Pride events, they really need to get involved." Both Muncil and Thomas admitted that they would be stepping down as Pride organizers after this year's events. As Thomas said, "It's time for new blood." This leaves a huge void in Pride planning which, incidentally, takes almost a full year to put together. And I know what some of you are thinking; you didn't ’ like the word "queer" or the phrase "fight the right" in the this year's theme - or you didn't like the invitation or the subsequent disinvitation of Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling to speak at the rally. Well guess what? If you volunteer to serve on next year's Pride Committee, you will have a say and a vote on the theme and the speakers and many other aspects of the celebration. Help keep your pride in Pride alive! For additional information about the VT Pride Committee, call Jen Muncil at (802) 865-0440. V VOICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS: The Other Side of Babsgate Peggy Luhrs BURLINGTON -- Where shall I start with all the problems I have with the last issue of OI TM. The Babsgate piece (only in 0IT M's mind), the uninformed and irresponsible editorial, or Mary Hurlie's confusing the trait of homosexuality with the choice of Republican politics. Well, I'll start where I came in on this, quite unintentionally. I was appalled to hear Barbara Snelling would be a speaker at Pride '95 given that there is only one party that has made anti-gay politics an issue at its convention, that has l C Kunin said that she supported ‘full civil rights for all shoulders of only two 0 le, - - - 1081-5582)fis,publi'_she‘d citizens, including lesbians and gay men. It is within the Muncil and her colleaguepePgter Kelconlllei. {hi rehilous tngh.t . and péiyffigat except ;_f,Olf:,;:_.: ila }comb_in_ed1 Vermont tradition of tolerance and liberty that Thomas, "It's very difficult when “"09 0 ‘aw eneverl mean gammga V°_ ' JulylAugust issue.1_'herievusl:;q1e_r=r discrimination of any sort is wrong." just two people (organize) this 335 PM)’ Of Fa‘ Buchananv B°b.D°”‘a"r Dlck Afmey rat; 1109 event," Muncil Said at the (' Barney Fag ) and Newt Gingrich. That party is the Oil‘ Five years later, in 1991, OIT M reported, "The largest Post-march rally, "The more people Republican P311)“ In facta the 33)’ Repubhcan M10 wrote to OI T M (four) issues ago had to reach back to the Lincoln-Douglas debates to find an example of address; . ' , 0l|fVé?E_. profusion of pink triangles displaced yellow ribbons as people, the more ideas, the more libefatory thinking in the GOP. But what have they montfiaolporli. _ the symbol of the day. In Burlington, after three years in resources, the more time they have done for us lately _ Say lllls century? 1 realize that not "?"|D9 _|5‘l' Montpelier, marchers regaled a made~to-order thronglof to devote to it. With_ just two all Republicans are aml_gay or all Democrals pro’ but shoppers and ((l}l(een l\\/;;)llnlall']l) Chew Chew festers with people, it puts a great strain on us to Republicans have set themselves up as the party of _ IS PHWHWWIMC Unlbd pithy chants i e, ' e're ere, we're queer, we're meet everybody‘s expectations. . . . . . . . States. ’ fabulous, get used to it.‘ For marchers grown There needs to bean ongoing Pride hetemsexlsm ‘md of the Chnsnan Common whlch '5 determined to prevent gay rights. I personally opposed Barbara Snelling because she voted against the minimum wage, not a gay issue, but a big one for women who are most of those earning minimum wage. I wasn't the only one or the one who made the decision to disinvite her. Paul Olsen called me about this and I spoke to him as what I thought of him as, another member of the community with a similar desire to improve things for lesbians and gays in Vermont. I spoke to Paul for probably twenty minutes before he mentioned writing about this for OITM at which point I immediately said, "You're going to write about this? What for? It doesn't make any sense to turn this into an issue." Paul should have identified himself as a reporter from the first. I spoke freely to him thinking we were discussing community strategy and I don't feel that it was fair to have been told of his intent to publish only after most of our conversation. But Paul's piece is nothing compared to the anti—woman, anti-left editorial by Fred Kuhr. Fred refers to left fascism and accuses some unidentified left of being just like Pat Robertson and wantinglto eliminate all who don't believe in the same agenda. This is not true. No one on the left is proposing death or criminalization of anyone. We are not even proposing the silencing of Republicans much as we might wish to stop the anti-gay epithets coming from that comer of our Congress. I guess Fred wouldn't be too concerned with affirmative action, abortion rights or welfare reform. As a white man none of these affect him. Although he and anyone else who opposes abortion rights had best think a little before deciding this has nothing to do with being gay. Abortion rights, the right to choose, the right to own your own body are vital to our l 2 j V V V __ , community. If the state has the power to control sexual ‘CW9 79"¢°.!."_'39°7 _3',.‘d :imr>|°re’ .0.‘-"V behavior, such as forcing women to have unwanted J.‘-eadets t° ’d°iM=‘°t-.".‘°Yv°a“.-v‘°»:i children, it won't be a big step toward controlling the I pegggthblggf d‘ sexual behavior of lesbians and gay men. 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