Out in the Mountains

Best and Worst

Continued from page 1

Best place to take a same-sex date:
Ask a lesbian.

Best place for a cheap date:
Burlington's Ethan Allen Cinema.

Best lesbian nightspot:
Club Fantasy in South Burlington.

Best movie theaters:

Century Plaza in South Burlington and the Savoy B

in Montpelier who both continue to showcase
lesbian and gay themed films.

Best vacation places: A
Provincetown, Ogunquit, and San Francisco.

Best place to meet gay men and lesbians:
Burlington's 135 Pearl during the National
Govemors' Association (NGA) conference.

Worst place to meet gay men:

Vermont.

Political

Best comic strip:
Alison Bechdel's "Dykes to Watch Out For".

Best student association:
Middlebury College's G/L/B Alliance.

_ Best political organization: ‘

Vermont Coalition for Iesbian and Gay Rights
(VCLGR) which is working hard to fight Leon
Graves‘ anti-gay amendment to Vermont's
adoption reform legislation and for support of the
Human Rights Commission.

Best politician:

Senator James Jeffords. In 1995, after twenty
years of refusing to support national gay rights
legislation, Jeffords became the original sponsor
and introduced the Employment
Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA).

Honorable mention: Vermont State Auditor
Edward Flanagan for coming out publicly in an
attempt to combat homophobia.

Worst politician:

Vermont Agricultural Commissioner Leon
Graves who, as a State Senator, introduced an
amendment to the adoption reform bill barring
same-sex couples from adopting.

Honorable mention: Cambridge State
Representative Ricky Westman who, through his
endorsement of Bob Dole's anti—gay presidential
candidacy, is the epitome of what is wrong with
politicians today.

Honorable mention II: South Burlington City
Councilor David MacLaughlin who wants to
define "entertainment" for Chittenden County.

Best Gay Pride costume:
Radical Faerie Gabriel Q with his fabulous
wings.

Best sniping:

Best and Worst of Gay Vermont 1995.

Worst sniping: .

Mary Hurlie's "Voices From the Mountains" in
OITM (9/95).

 

Best cause:
Outright Vermont which continues to provide critical services to
g/l/b youth in Vermont in spite of.a hostile political climate.

Worst fight:
Forget Mike Tyson's 89 second return to the ring", the Mary
Hurlie/Susan Aranoff VCLGR bout will last for months.

Best drag queen (drag is political):
Amber who looks great in her leopard skin mini.
Honorable mention: "Cherie Tartt, of course!

Best (and only) female illusionist:
Noel

Worst decision:

Take your pick: the decision to invite and/or disinvite Lieutenant
Governor Barbara Snelling to speak at Gay Pride Day.
Honorable mention: 135 Pearl's decision to not have a gay Gay
Pride Day celebration.

Best decision:
VCLGR‘s meeting with Barbara Snelling following the Gay Pride

. Day debacle.

Best political appointment:
President Clinton's appointment of Terje Anderson to his Advisory
Council on AIDS/HIV.

Best political comeback:
The reelection of Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle.

Best quote:

9 ' Governor Howard Dean when asked about Senator Leon Graves‘

anti-gay amendment to the adoption reform bill: "I oppose it and
will not sign the bill if it is in there." _
Worst quote:

Rutland's anti—Daddy’s Roommate crusader, Karol Raiche, on
homosexuality: "The American Psychological Association says that
homosexuality is now normal and you're probably born with it. But
the APA is also trying to normalize pedophilia."

Spiritual

Best spiritual leader: :
Rabbi Joshua Chasen who has championed civil rights and serves
on the Board of Vermont CARES.

Worst spiritual leader:
Operation Rescue's Michael McHugh.

News

Best newspaper:
The Rutland Herald for responsibly covering
Rutland's Daddy's Roommate debate.

Worst newspaper:
Chittenden County's Vermont Times -- have they
ever covered a lesbian and gay event or issue?

Best television personality:
WPTZ's John Daley (move over Blaine).

Capitalism

Best place to shop (gay men):
Stowe Trading Post in Stowe and Burlington.

Best place to shop (lesbians):
American Eagle in Burlington.

Best place to get condoms:
Vermont CARES.

Best bakery:
The Daily Bread in Richmond.

Best Ben & Jerry's flavor:
Chubby Hubby.

Best place for drag outfits:
Old Gold in Burlington.

‘ Best place for drag shoes:

PayLess in St. Albans (the girls are bigger up
there).

Best record store:
Pure Pop in Burlington.

Best florist:

Vivaldi Flowers in South Burlington.
Honorable Mention: Wildflower Designs in
Stowe. ’

Best attorney:

Susan Murray (Langrock Sperry & Wool)
because of her success in the area of same—sex
adoptions and ongoing commitment to social
change.

Best realtor:
Coldwell Banker's Jacqueline Marino.

Best shoe store:
Cole Hahn in Manchester.

Best place for gifts:
Burlington's Peace & Justice Store.

Worst gift idea:
Teddy bears from the Rush Limbaugh sponsoring
Vermont Teddy Bear Company.

Best t—shirt saying:

Let go of my ears, I know what I'm doing.
Honorable mention: Sit on my face, I’ll guess
your weight.

Honorable mention H: F**k you, I have enough
friends. V