Out in the Mountains OITM Roundup: State, National and World News Briefs compiled by Kip M. Roberson OITM Staff Bennington clergy A fight adoption bill BENNINGTON -— Six Bennington clergymen are fighting a provision of an adoption reform bill that would allow unmarried couples and homosexuals to adopt. “We oppose this inclusion on the grounds that it further undermines the already weak family unit, it places the child in a setting of insecurity, and it says to the children that immoral lifestyles are nonnal and accepted in this state of Vermont,” the group said in a letter to their local legislators, as well as several state newspapers. The bill passed the Senate on Jan. 26 and is expected to move quickly in the House.That provision had been the subject of some controversy during the initial Senate debate on the issue. There was even a move to strike it from the legislation, essentially banning unmarried couples from being able to adopt. That amendment failed on a vote of 22-7. But the debate could resurface during House consideration of the measure. -'2 '2: You dorff; get i You don't get it f 0 don’: get it from The clergy stated in their letter that marriage today is “an insecure institution,” and “to place a child in a situation of almost certain disruption is a situation of insecurity into which no child should be intentionally placed.” Signing the letter were Revs. Glen Bayly, Jerry Frey, David Jinno, Dan Curtis, John Goyette and Bob Lebert. (Bay Windows) Canada extends couples benefits to gay workers OTTAWA -- Canada’s government has taken a giant step and extended at least some of the benefits enjoyed by married federal employees to gay and lesbian partners of government workers as well. Canadian rights activists lauded the Treasury Board’s decision, which affects more than 200,000 government workers, as a “great step forward for equality” in the country. The new policy hardly represents putting same—sex couples on equal footing with married workers, however, and does not include such important traditional benefits as insurance and pension at all. But it does break dramatic new ground, activists say, and does allow government employees to take a leave of absence for an ailing partner, permits workers to have bereavement leave in the event of dancing. According to the Surg,eon'GenTe ’ ' "' ins1:‘_A__1 DS, LINE. ealth. Division of El’: the death of a partner, and extends to a worker’s partner the same flight and housing allowances given to spouses of government employees on work assignments around the country. (News Telegraph) Children of lesbians seldom grow up to be gay NEW YORK -- A study of 25 children raised by lesbian mothers found that only two became gay adults, contradicting the popular belief that such youngsters have a high chance of being homosexual when they grow up. The study, done in Eng1and,.is the first to track children reared in lesbian families from childhood to adulthood, said Susan Golombok, a professor of psychology at City University in London. The 25 children grew up with their lesbian mothers, most of whom had a female partner. For comparison, the study also tracked 21 children who grew up with unmarried heterosexual mothers, most of whom had a male companion. None of the children in this comparison group considered himself or herself to be gay when interviewed as adults. The difference between that finding and the result for the lesbian families was not statistically significant. “There’s a very strong view among the lay public that these children have a very high chance of Health Resources AIDS HOTLINES: Vermont 800-882-2437 New Hampshire 800-752-2437 New York State 800-541-2437 Massachusetts 617-522-4090 Maine V 800-851-2437 National 800-342-2437 Canadian 613-563-2437 AIDS Community Awareness Project (ACAP) PO Box 608 St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 (802) 748-1149 AIDS Community Resource Network (ACoRN) PQBox2057 _____ Lebanon, NH 03766 (603) 448-2220 Bennington Area AIDS Project PO Box 1066 Bennington, VT 05201 (802)442-4481 or 1-800-845-2437 Brattleboro AIDS Project PO Box 1486 Brattleboro, VT 05302 (802) 254-4444 (Helpline) (802)254-8263 (Office) Franklin-Grand Isle AIDS Task Force P. O. Box 241, St. Albans, VT 05478 (800) 524-7742 - (802)638-7834 Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous GLAA, PO. Box 5653 Burlington, VT 05402 (802) 658-4221 Lesbian Cancer Support Group (802) 660-8386 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 Vermont C.A.R.E.S. (Committee for AIDS Resources, Education, and Services) PO Box 5248 0 37 Elmwood Ave., Bur- lington, VT 05401 (802) 863-2437 (Burlington) 1-800-649-2437 (VT) Vermont Department of Health 1-800-882-2437 (AIDS Hotline) or (802) 863-7245 (AIDS Program office) VT PWA Coalition PO Box 11 Montpelier, VT 05452 1-800-69—VT-PWA or (802) 229-5754 Vermont Women’s Health Center 336 North Avenue Burlington, VT 05401 (802)863-1386