inside on pages 8 - 9-! V Out In the Mountains Pride Coverage Continues LIBRARY ‘JUL lOut in HQ75 .0971 the Mo nfains T'S FORUM FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER ISSUES Volume xn, Number,4/5’ July/August 1997 FREE by Lyn Staack Downtown Burlington’s Church Street was overrun by dykes on J une 21 as Vermont’s first Dyke March kicked off this year’s Pride Day. Following a fiery “Dyke March” banner made by The Art Gurlz (Alison Bechdel, Bekah Perks, Patti McNamy and Amy Radcliffe), 100 lesbian-, bi- and trans—dykes marched — or rode in the back of the “Trans” pickup truck — from City Hall up Church Street, the main artery of the city. Chanting, clapping and wav- ing to allies on the sidewalk, the high energy group turned down Cherry Street and wound their way to Bat- tery Park. Once there, the dyke marchers fanned out, joining other Oh when the dykes, go marching in!: Dyke March’97 GLBT celebrants in listening to speak- ers, wandering the booths and visiting with friends. Organizers considered the Dyke March a success. “This year because it was the first Dyke March in Vermont we had set a goal of 100 dykes——which we met. Next year our goal will be much higher.” said organizer Jess Bell. Other organi'zers for this year’s march included Peggy Luhrs, Rachel Lurie, Chris Staats, and Oak Lagalbo. Vermont’s Dyke March, Jess said, was planned in the tradition of the Dyke Marches which have accompa- nied Pride Day Events in cities across the country since the first one the night before the GBLT March on Washing- ton in 1993 when 20,000 lesbians Continued, Page 3 OUTRIGHT WERMONT FIl\lDS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR by Chris Tebbetts Ask Tami Eldredge what the needs of GLBTQ youth are today, and she'll "rattle off a quick, concise list. It was that kind of ready answer that impressed Outright Vermont into hiring her as the agency's new Executive Director. That, and an eclectic professional background combined to make her the organization's first choice to replace the outgoing Karin Eade. Eldredge, 40, relocated herself and her three cats from South Carolina to begin work in Burlington last March. She hopes to bring new energy and ideas to what she sees as an already impressive agency. ”The work Karin has done to build capacity and provide services was really impressive, so I had a place to start,” she says. Promotion and Education, along with a graduate certificate in Women's Studies from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1995. Along the way, she has worked in office administration, technical writing and youth health advocacy. Asked what her priorities for Outright will be, Eldredge concentrates on developing the group's existing structure. She stresses a continued commitment to youth involvement as key to the organization's future success. She also hopes build the relationship between the two arms of the agency, OutreaCh/ Education and Direct Services, currently coordinated by herself and Tage Lilja,' respectively. They will both be adding opportunities for youth to take part in decision making and in running the programs themselves. ”When you're an agency this small,’ there's a lot you want to do,” says Eldredge of their two—person staff. Expanding youth involvement will help them achieve their mission and get more done at the same time. Plans include youth staffing for Outright’s information line (1-800-GLB—-CHAT) and CONTINUED, page 7 Eldredge also found that her new position was a perfect opportunity to combine her background and skills. With an undergraduate degree in theater and dance, she co—founded The'Salon, an annual GLB arts celebration in Dayton, Ohio, where she also came out as a lesbian in 1987. Her additional work there with women's groups eventually led to a Masters of Public Health in Health Photo by StaciAnne Visco Outright Vermont’s new executive director, Tami Eldredge at this year’s pride festivities. Out in the Mountains 1997 Pride coverage continues inside on pages 8-9 (the centerfold).