Out in the Mountains CHASSMAN & BEM 2222:’ 7days LBQOR - welcome We are proud to carry the area’s largest selection of gay, lesbian, and bisexual books and magazines. 81 Church St., Burlington, VT 802-862-4332 1-800-NEW BOOK , Burlington, Vermont 05402 BETH ROBINSON LANGROCK SPERRY & WOOL ATTORNEYS AT LAW 15 SOUTH PLEASANT STREET MIDDLEBURY. VERMONT 05753 Burlington Office: 275 College Street 802-864-021 7 Araaicode: 302 ’ Telephone: 388-6356 ' l,:Axil: 388-6149 ! 4 Feminist Therapy ' 1 Sheila D. Rawls, M.S.C=.-p . 4 Pathways for self-discovery and growth addictions V coming out V relationships V, spirituality'V ACOA‘ (802) 865-2609 *sliding fee scale 1 2 Church Street, Suite 45 Burlington, Vennont 05401 p gm: A Tax 6 Accounting Services A Julie M. Miller Certified PublicAcc0zmtmzt Browns Trace Building P.0. Box 910 Richmond, VT 05477 802-434-6466 TEL 802-434-6465 mi Mazuzm 7aed’eau /2/V C’.-S’ £6.-SW Psychiatric Nurse — Clinical Specialist P.O. Box 13 N. Montpelier VT 05666 (802) 454-1432 Quite Simply. .. The finest collection, of Furniture, Carpeting 8: Accessories in Vermont Rutland House Ltd. 162 south main street rutland, Vermont 05701 (802) 775-291 1 rts.11l30 - In the heart of (802)362-2001 from all over Vermont: (800)849-2911 manchester center, verrnont Dr. Shoshanna Shelley Licensed Psychologist Helping Individuals & Couples With Depression, Anxiety, Abuse, Sexual identity, Addictions, Self Esteem & Relationship Concerns. Over 20 Years Experience Most Insurance A ‘epted 496-495, WARREN, VERMONT IBM Joins Growing List of Companies Offering Domestic Partnerships ARMONK NY — On September 19, IBM, one of the Burlington area’s major employers, announced that it would extend domestic partnership benefits to its gay and lesbian employees. The move makes IBM the largest corporate business in the United States to offer such benefits. In addition, IBM recently contributed a gift of $3,000 to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)'to support that'group’s “Honoring Our Allies” event, to be held December 4 in Washing- ton DC. The annual gathering “recognizes the work of gay and non-gay individuals who have champi- oned fairness and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people.’-’ ' ‘~ I » ‘ This year, NGLTF will honor members of the South African" government and the African National Congress who have advocated on behalf of inclu- ‘ sion of civil rights for gays in that.,nation’s new‘ Constitution; » More than 400 American companies, universi- ties, associations, municipalities, and other groups now extend domestic partner benefits to their gay and lesbian employees, including IBM’s peer com- " panics Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Xerox, and~Hewlett- » Packard. ' “More and more companies are ‘doing what the U.S. Congress and the Defense”-of Marriage Act won’t do: give recognition and benefits to same- gender relationships,” said Robert Bray, Media Director for NGLTF and a former employee of IBM. “Now, more and more gay and lesbian people are coming out in board rooms and on assembly lines and are creating real change in the American workplace.” Such forward momentum was also evident last month in Maine, where the University of Maine became the first public employer in the state to of- fer domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples. The school’s Board of Trustees voted to accept the policy on September 30. Supreme Court De- clines to Test “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy WASHINGTON DC — The Supreme Court de- clined to hear an appeal from Lieutenant Paul‘ Thomasson which would have challenged the le- gitimacy of the current “Dont’ Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the United States military. Enacted by President Clinton earlier in his first term, the policy served as a compromise on his pre- vious vow to end discrimination against gays and lesbians serving in the armed forces. Under the new rules, the military cannot ask whether a service person is gay or lesbian, but it does not prohibit them from discharging those individuals known to be lesbian or gay. Thommason had been a personal aide to Rear . Admiral Lee F. Gunn, who testified that Thommason was “a true front runner who should be groomed for the most senior leadership in tomorrow’s Navy.” Gunn himself is the senior of- ficer in charge of supervising the enactment of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy within the Navy. Thommason came out to Gunn in a memo ad- dressed to him and three other Navy officials, including Rear Admiral Albert Konetzni, who suc- A ceeded Gunn as the Navy’s chief administrator of the policy. In support of Thommason, Konetzni wrote that he “commands the respect of his subor- dinates and seniors alike through honesty, integrity, -and forthright communication.” Ironically, those same virtues and characteris- tics led to Thommason's discharge. 4 V News from Out Yonder The Navy argued that Thommason’s admission constituted a “homosexual act” in and of itself, and as such violated the policy and threatened the stabil- ity of the armed services. The Family Research Coun- cil, widely known for its homophobic attacks, was permitted to make both oral and written arguments as a “friend of the court” on the case. , In a brief filed the same night that President Clinton signed the “Defense of Marriage Act,” his administration requested that the Supreme Court not hear Thommason’s case, as that would have brought the President’s policy into question during an elec- tion year. News that 722 discharges under the current policy set a four—year high during 1995 has done little to restore the faith of gay and lesbian servicemembers under the Clinton administration. “Which Gender, DeGeneres? LOS ANGELES, CA — Will she or won’t she? That question has been on the minds of a number of gays and lesbians around the country as Ellen DeGeneres, star of the popular television sitcom “Ellen,” un'— leashed a torrent of rumors that the title character of the series-, known forvher failed and/or non-existent relationships with men, was about to come out of the closet. On several talk show programs, DeGeneres has claimed that the character has already come out as "V “Lebanese,” owing to her fondness for certain ethnic cuisines. In response, talk show hostess Rosie O’Donnell quipped that since she also liked Middle Eastern foods, she might be “Lebanese” too. Despite the media's current amusement over the issue, hate mail has already begun piling up at the ABC studios which produce the “Ellen” show, most of it from the radical right, who argue that such a de- velopment would further contribute to warping the minds of innocent youth in America and -speeding the moral decline of society. Further connections between the show and the Disney corporation have compli- cated matters. Disney is also currently under assault from the radical right owing to its sponsorship of films such as “Priest” and events such as Gay and Lesbian Days at their theme parks. Activists have called on television viewers every- where to write to ABC in support of Ellen's eventual outing. Letters and postcards should be sent to: Ms. Jamie Tarses, Programming Director, ABC Studios, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California, 90067. Pennsylvania Says No to Same-Sex Marriages PHILADELPHIA, PA — Pennsylvania became the seventeenth state to enact legislation prohibiting same- sex marriages and unions. The measured, signed into law on October 17 by Governor Tom Ridge, further denies the recognition of same-sex marriages performedin any other state, even if they were considered legal in that state. Such measures have been popping up all around the coun- try as so-called “family values” politicans rally for the endorsement of the radical right during election campaigns. Here in Vermont, initial inquiries into the idea of same-sex marriages have been tabled until the next legislative session at the earliest. The Freedom to Marry Task Force, an ad hoc component of the Ver- mont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights, has been busy working with elected officials and candidates as well to help better inform and educate them about the issue and its subsequent effects on the gay, les- bian, bisexual, and transgendered communities. Because of its progressive reputation in the coun- try, Vermont may well be an important testing ground for efforts to recognize same-sex unions, particularly those performed in Hawaii, which stands poised to become the first state in the country to make such marriages legal. V