sexuality and if you don't know this in 1995 you are, at
best, politically naive.

I don't doubt there are gays in the Republican party. We
are everywhere and part of everything, we have
criminals, pedophiles the likes of Roy Cohn. It's not
that gay Republicans are not truly gay, it's that they
have bad judgment if they think the Republican party
will ever be helpful to the cause of gay rights.

Our community in its reaction to being discriminated
against has gone overboard on the idea of
non—judgmentalness to the point of becoming
meaningless relativists. Sometimes you have to stand
for something and omigod there may be a gay person
alive who doesn't agree with you. Especially now with
a real fascism from the right facing us. Have you heard
OIT M that the Republican party is catering to the
Christian right? And why is Fred trashing (left
fascism) the majority of our community who name
themselves and are out and are pro-choice for the sake
of maybe dragging out of the closet a couple of gay
Republicans who would do what for their community?
Not much I imagine.

At a time when we face real attacks from the right,
OIT M's mislabeling of left fascism is irresponsible
and dangerous to all who are under attack from the
right. OIT M seems thrilled to get mail from the gay
anti-choice group but maybe doesn't realize how the
right tries to find these types of groups to split existing
movements  ‘

When the Women's Council had its "Fight the Right
Forum" in December, Sue Hyde of the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force gave a workshop on coalition
building because that is what gays and lesbians have
had to do to fight the right wing attempt at anti-gay
ballot initiatives. She made the point that if you are
going to have a real coalition you cannot abandon the
issues of any group in that coalition. Perhaps we're
complacent in Vermont, we haven't had the extreme
attacks gays have experienced in Oregon and
Colorado, but we would be fools to think it can't
happen here. A coalition that works for lesbian and gay
rights believes no group should be scapegoated or
oppressed by economic injustice either. It is a coalition
that includes feminists who work for abortion rights
and affirmative action. It is a coalition that is
multicultural because it understands that the ruling
class has always won by dividing and conquering. It
knows the history of the right is anti-civil rights and
anti—semitic.

I believe this is the type of movement we'need, rather
than one that panders to those in power, hoping for a
blessing from above. No one has ever been given their
rights by those in power. It is about creating a
movement and fighting for them and it takes
organizing at the grassroots. I hope this community will
take the high road of liberation for all and not kid itself
that it can clean up its act, vote Republican, and go
home to Kansas.

Peggy Luhrs is Executive 'Director of the Burlington
Women's Council.

All readers are encouraged to take their turn at the
editorial bat and let their voices be heard on the topic of
their choice. Send articles/columns of less than 1000
words to Out In The Mountains, P.0. Box 177,
Burlington, ' VT 05402, or via the lntemet at
0utVermont@aol.com. V

Dean Speaks Out:

Continued from page 1

OITM: State Senator (and probable candidate for
Lieutenant Governor) Jeb Spaulding has proposed
legislation that would create ballot initiatives in
Vermont. What is your position on this proposal?

Dean: I don't like those and I would vigorously oppose
those because they have been nothing but trouble for
most other states. They have led to expensive and
distorted campaigns of various kinds, some against
minority groups, some against spending of various
kinds, so I am a very strong opponent of government
by referendum. I believe we have a representative form
of government and that is the appropriate way we
should continue.

OITM: How do you feel about outing? Specifically,
should closeted gay members of the Legislature who
voted against the Gay Rights Bill be outed?

Dean: I don't like outing because I think people need to
make their own decisions about when or if they want to
disclose if they are gay. Outing is now being used by
some members of the gay community as a technique
for advancing causes and also showing hypocrisy in
politicians. It's always fair to show hypocrisy in
politicians. The temptation is gigantic when you have
hypocrisy in politicians but usually on issues of policy
not issues of personal and private matters.

OITM: Will the NGA address any issues that
specifically concern lesbians and gay men?

Dean: I doubt it. The NGA has a majority of 30
Republicans who are not inclined to address this cause
in any kind of constructive way. Which doesn't mean
that there are not some very good Republicans who are
supportive of gay rights. (Massachusetts Governor) Bill
Weld comes to mind immediately and there are others
who would be sympathetic as well but the vast majority
are unsympathetic. I can't think of anything
constructive that would come out of the NGA meeting
in this area. I can't even get universal health care on
the agenda!

0ITM: In the past you've supported legislation that
would mandate HIV testing of convicted sex
offenders. Do you still support it?

Dean: That's probably my one difference with the gay
community. It's not going to happen but I still support
it. It has to do with my views of victims . . . I feel so
very strongly about victims rights, which in fact is the
same sense of justice that makes me very supportive of
the gay and lesbian community.

OITM: Do you plan to run for Governor in 1996?

Dean: Yes, and you're the first newspaper in the State
to know.

OITM: Who will win the milking contest?

Dean: I'm going to get my butt cleaned! V

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3

July/August 1995

Letters to the Editor

Not Proud of Pride Day

To participate or not to participate in the 1995 Pride Day parade (had) been
my question. Whether 'tis nobler to participate when clearly many gay
people have been discriminated against by some of the organizers of the
parade or to stay away, that (had) been my dilemma.

Fortunately the June 1995 issue of OITM, with Editor Kuhr's highly
responsible editorial, came out prior to Pride Day. In that editorial Kuhr
probably (spoke) for the majority of us in the greater "gay community" who
value the diversity within that community.

I honor that diversity which includes drag queens and transsexuals and
leather and dykes on bikes and Republicans and Democrats and socialists
and Catholics and atheists and all the rest that seems endless. I honor those
who wish to call themselves "queers" and those who wish to be known as
"radical fairies." I am fine about being called a queer, a fairy, or a queen;
but a lot of gay men and lesbians find some of those labels offensive.

Pride Day is supposed to be inclusive. Using the term "queer" instead of

"gay" is exclusionary. And disinviting our Republican Lieutenant Governor '

is exclusionary. We have room in our broadest definition of a "community"
for all points of view. But when one of those points of view dominates that
whole of Pride Day, then we become our own enemies.

I hope that Pride Day 1996 will return to a celebration for all gay persons,
not just those who seem to have become self-appoint(ed) "chosen people."

Fred Kuhr deserves a standing ovation for his editorial and for exposing in
0ITM what happened to Pride Day 1995.

Cleland Eelby
Middlebury

*****

OITM Out Of Touch

Holy inclusion Batman!  er Fred. It sends chills of solidarity down my
spine just to think of _those same-sex Right-Wingers thumping away on their
Ralph Lauren sheets.

Please. OITM seems to have forgotten the difference between sexual activity
and political activism.

Whoever convinced the organizers of Gay Pride to reconsider Barbara
Snelling as speaker prevented far greater embarrassment to politically aware
Gay Vermonters and to the Lieutenant Governor herself. In fact, it would
have been a downright cruel spectacle to watch a heterosexual, privileged,
white woman booed and jeered from the podium because of an
ill-conceived invitation to address a hostile crowd.

With the amazing exception of Alison Bechdel's work, OITM is sadly out of
touch.

Virginia Winn
Burlington

*****

That Queer Word

I read your  editorial in the May issue about the word "queer." My opinion
on this is that I don't like it when it is used to describe people who like the
same sex. In the dictionary, the word 'queer' means "unusual, weird, and
different." 1 don't consider myself or others who like the same sex weird.
Some people feel that by already labelling themselves, they will show the
"so-called straight world" (that) they are not hurting them when they call
them queer. Well, I can see their point, but I still will not let others or
myself be referred to as queer! So therefore I am opposed to the (theme) of
this year's Pride Day 

Bctharm Frendergast
Burlington

*****

It Pays To Advertise

I want you to know how much I've appreciated not only your publication,
but your ads. Through them I was able to find a real estate agent, a lawyer,
and an insurance company. Through these womyn, I've been able to
purchase a small cabin in Underhill  -

I have no idea how I would have managed this without their help and your
paper to find them. I first contacted realtor Jackie Marino at Coldwell
Banker  She not only knew her job, she kept me reassured about this very
intimidating process  Since I had such good luck the first time, I tried
again. This time I had the good fortune to meet Attomey-at-Law Sarah
Powell. She is another womyn really dedicated to the cause  I had a
closing before I could really believe it  While all this was going on I was
trying to find insurance for my new nest. This wasn't easy because of the
size of it. I called Ellen Hetherington (of Allstate) 

So thanks to your paper I finally accomplished what I set out to do ten years
ago. And with all this help, I think I got to do it in style.

Nat Harrison
Chazy, NY- V