Out in the Mountains . be a source of information, insight, batiaiitaeMountain; . Established. in 1986 _ . Editor: HughCoylei 7 . Business Manager: Steven west - . Layout andiDesign:‘Staciannje Visco Circulation Manager: David Grist . Website Managers: Kathie Sawyer and TracyJButtles ‘w L , Contributoirst Torn. Aloisi, Joy Griffith,-Moira, Paul Olsen,'and pChris*Teb_betts ~ ~ Out in the Mountains (ISSN 1081-‘ 5562) is published monthly by Moun- tain Pride Media, lnc. The newspa-f per maintains offices at 109. South Winooski Avenue in Burlington, Ver- mont. Our mailing address is PO Box 177, Burlington VT 05402-0177} Our e-mail address is oitm@ao|.‘com.\ Bulk rate postage for the mailing of the newspaper ispaid in Burlington, Vermont.The subscription rate is $20 per.year within the United States. © 1996, Out in the Mountains. Statement of Purpose The purpose of Out in the Moun- tains is to serve as a voice for lesbi- ans, gay men, bisexuals, transgen- dered people, and oursupporters in Vermont. We wish the newspaper to and affirmation. We also see OITM as a vehicle for the celebration of the goodness and diversity of the les- bian, gay, bisexual, and trans- gendered communities here in Ver- mont and elsewhere. .. Editorial’ Policy We will consider for pgublication - any material which broadens our un- derstanding ioio_urj.litestyl_es and of each other. Views and opinions jap- pearingin the paper do;not-jneces- sarily represent those oi’theistatt.’. This paper cannot and will not en,-I dorse anyccandidates and actions of- public otticialson issues ot_impor- tance to lesbians, gay men, bisexu- als, and transgendered ipersons. , We will not publish any material deemed to be overtly racist,sexist, anti-Semitic, ageist, classist, ’ xerio= phobic or homophobic. I , - Writers’ guidelines are available? on request. All materialssubmitted must include a name and contact number. However, within the pages of the newspaper, articles may ap- pear anonymously upon request, and strict confidentiality will be observed; Articles, - letters, and artwork should be sentto us by the 15th of the month prior to the month ofpub-, lication (Le. January 15th for the E_eb-. ruary issue). We encourage '2 t M . . V Editorial "Community" First Step Toward Community Center by Hugh Coyle Over the past few years, a number of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered groups and individuals around the state have discussed the idea of opening a Community Center that would serve all our constituencies. For some, the Center would offer much—needed office space; oth- ers envision the Center as provid- ing a safe alternative social space for both youth and adults. Nearly everyone agrees thatsuch a Cen- ter would work wonders toward strengthening our political pres- ence in the state and, in general, contribute toward the health and well-being of those within our various communities. In her recent visit to Middle- bury and Burlington, Torie Osborn emphasized the impor- tance of community centers on both political and social fronts. As the former Executive Direc- tor of the Los Angelcs Gay and Lesbian Community Center, she knows first-hand the value of ' working together to build and strengthen coalitions. Her subse- quent work with both HIV/AIDS activism and as Executive Direc- tor of the National Gay and Les- bian Task Force only strength- ened hcr commitment to such a vision. For many of us, a Com- munity Center could easily be regarded as the “home” referred to in the title of Osborn’s recent book, Coming Home to America. Herein Vermont, the growth experienced by a number of g/l/ b/t organizations, Out in the Mountains included, has made it necessary to seek out new office space. Financial concerns have virtually demanded the consider- ation of shared resources such as office space and equipment, mailing resources, and staff, both salaried and volunteer. Commu- nication between organizations ' has increased, particularly as electronic media such as the * * pIiuenIxri5ing* , - spirited jewelry & giits - ‘tr [IAHE i] EHPHESS Ylllllllili \’/ _*- lO4 main street,‘one flight up montpeiier 802.229.0522 Internet and the World Wide Web gain in popularity and effective- ness. Though we share a number of common concerns and have improved upon our own connect- edness, we have yet to form the alliances necessary to lead us for- ward in the quest for a Commu- nity Center. Internal conflicts and agenda politics create an atmo- sphere of distrust, particularly when it comes to bringing to- gether the men’s and women’s communities. Regionalism has also hampered our progress, since many non-Burlington groups feel rather marginalized . by their Chittenden County peers. This has been made quite clear in recent weeks as! a number of people in the Burlington area have expressed disdain at having to travel two or three hours south to Brattleboro for the annual VCLGR town meeting. Even if our first Community Center were to exist in Burling- ton (and there are anumber of rea- sonsto favor such a situation), Chittenden County residents can- not overlook the valuable influ- ence and support of groups from other areas such as southern Ver- mont and the Northeast King- ~ dom. Our own grass-roots origins necessitate such fluid and dy- namic communication. For that reason, a VCLGR town meeting in Brattleboro makes perfect sense; it is a gesture of good faith, an active step toward meaning- ful outreach. It brings us that much closer toward recognizing just who it is that comprises our “community.” Without such a sense of “community,” we may never be able to reach our goal of having a Community Center. For that * reason, planning such a monu- mental undertaking will require a great deal of shared understand- ing and compromise, as well as an initial decision to set aside certain differences in order sim- ply to engage in the discussion. I would argue that if we cannot achieve this first step, then we arcn’t yet ready for a Community Center, at least not one that could thrive and prosper. There must be some sacrifices made, whether that means sitting at the same table with groups perceived to be “this-ist” or “that-phobic,” or making a three hour drive in whatever direction. At the upcoming town meet- ing, there will be a caucus to dis- cuss the viability of a Commu- nity Center for Vcrmont’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgen- dered pcople. This will be a chance for members of every group and every constituency to be ‘present as the first tenuous steps are taken toward realizing such a goal. There is a strong like- lihood that we will need new leadership on this issue, and that our standing community organi- zations may need to make addi- tional commitments toward see- ing such a project through. Any Community Center we do eventually create will be just that — a center. As such, it will stand as an intersection, the hub around which our real work, ‘however mainstream or radical, can be accomplished. This sym- bolic common ground is vital for the health of our communities, particularly as we support one an- other on our various issues. To claim that common ground, we must all move toward one an- other, not away from one another. If we are to move forward at all, g each of us must commit to that first step. It’s time to fully realize the meaning of the word “commu— nity,” a concept that for so many years has remained ill-defined and arbitrary for one reason or another. We need to bring to- gether an actual coalition which truly represents the various groups and organizations now working toward making Vermont a better and safer place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgen- dered people. Once we achieve that, we will be halfway home toward creating our first Commu- nity Centcr. V ACLU-Vermont Opposes DOMA MONTPELIER — The Board of Directors of Vcrrnont’s chap- tor of the American Civil Liber- ties Union recently issued a state- ment opposing passage of the so- called “Defense of Marriage Act," or DOMA. The act, signed into law by President Clinton, restricts the federal definition of marriage to one man and one woman, and allows states the option not to recognize legal same—sex marriages performed in other states. ACLU—VT called the act “an ‘unwarranted curtailment of indi- vidual rights based on prejudice rather than reason” in the latest issue of the Defender, ACLU- VT’s newsletter. “ACLU recog- nizes that there are differences within the gay and lesbian com- munity —' as there are within the heterosexual community - about the value of marriage, but supports the right of individuals , to have access to the benefits and responsibilities of state-sanc- tioned marriage.” Both of Vermont’s Senators, Leahy and Jeffords, voted in fa- vor of DOMA, while Congress- man Bernie Sanders voted against the act when it came through the House of Represen- tatives earlier this year. Though the offices of both Lcahy and Jeffords were contacted recently by OITM and asked to address a statement of explanation regard- ing their votcs to Vermont’s gay and lesbian community, neither has yet submitted a response. V Robert S, Elliott, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant Member American Institute of Certified Public Accountants 15 East Washington Street . Rutlcind, Vermont 05701 .(802) 773-4030 Fax: (802) 747-4999 Elizabeth Anne Campbell Certified Public Accountant P.O. BOX #85 PLAINFIELD, VT 0567-0485 F OR THE WORLD ARTS OF VERMONT PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE GAYG. LESBIAN COMMUNITY CELEBRATING ur-1-: couurrmarrrs FAMILY MILESTONES ENVIRON!-ZNTAL PORTRAITS DIVA PORT!’-‘OILOS 802 454 -7187 Voict:/rnx a-mm: TAZDIVACAOLCDM Arcadiaflouse V Elegant Accommodations PO BOX 520 V Hyde Park, VT 05655 V 802-888-9147 John Towne V Ed Pepe V Innkeepers 25 acres V pond V meadows V trails V river eace & privacy