3 2 " OUT IN THE /VlOUNTAlNS "' NOVEMBER Oz/f in {/79 /I//01//71a/'/is Established in 1986 Editor: Christopher Moes Business Manager: Steven West Design Manager: Donald Eggert Circulation Manager: David Grist Website Manager: Lenna Cumberbatch Proofreader: Elizabeth Hansen Office Manager: Tracy Kommons Sales: Donna Freeman, Roger Mapes Brailist: Deborah Cloutier Fowler Computer Support: Amy Hoffman Intern: Gwynn Guilford Contributors: DD Taylor-Garcia, Gwynn Guilford, Michael Albero, Crow Cohen, Pickles, Bennett Law, James Monistream, Peter Kurth, Steven_ Stowell, Lynn Martin, Donald Giguere, Betsy McLane, Carey V. Johnson, Celia Cuddy, Constance Craving, Endora, Allen Fletcher, Donna Freeman, David Gramling, Joy D. Griffith, Sal lnglima, Kirsten lsgro, Rev. Christine Leslie, Peggy Luhrs, Paul Olsen, Beth Robinson, Susan Murray, Esther Rothblum, Chris Tebbetts 01/I/71//re Mar/nfa/'/7s(ISSN 1081-5562) is published monthly by Mountain Pride Media, Inc. The newspaper maintains offices at 109 South Winooski Avenue in Burlington, Vermont. Our mailing address is PO Box 177, Burlington, VT 05402-0177. Our email address is oitm@together.net and our website is located at http://www.vtpride.org. The subscription rate is $20 per year within the United States of America. ©1997, 01/I in the /I’/Ollflfa/I75 Mountain Pride Media Board of Directors . Liz Campbell, Margrit Dutta, Joy Griffith, Nat Harrison, Steve Kopslein, Kathie Sawyer, Ross Sneyd, Deborah Lashman, Lanny Jones, Cheryl Carrni Statement of Purpose The purpose of 01/1/27 {/29 Mom- ra/'/zsis to serve as a voice for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered people", and our supporters in Vermont. We wish the newspaper to be a source of information, insight, and affirmation. We also see OlTM as a vehicle for the celebration of the goodness and diver- sity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered communities here in Vermont and elsewhere. Editorial Policy We will consider for publication any material which broadens our under- standing of our lifestyles and of each other. Views and opinions appearing in the paper do not necessarily represent those of the staff. This paper cannot and will not endorse any candidates or actions of public officials on issues of importance to lesbians, gay men, bi- sexuals, and transgendered persons. We reserve the right not to pub- lish any material deemed to be overtly racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, ageist, classist, xenophobic, or homophobic. Writers‘ guidelines are availbale on request. All materials submitted must include a name and a contact number. However, within the pages of the news- paper, articles may appear anony- mously upon request, and strict confi- dentially will be observed. Articles, letters, and artwork should be sent to us by the 20th of the month prior to the month of publication (i.e. February 20th for the March issue). We encourage and implore our readers to do what they can to make 0/TM a paper which truly represents the many voices of our communities. Materials should be sent to: Out in the Mountains PO Box 177 Burlington, VT 05402-0177 phone: (802)865-9294 email: oitm@together.net OlTM now available in braille format! Contact Chris Moes at (802) 865-9294 for more information. EDITORIAL: Thoughts on the Coaliton Conference umor had it that a group of people were boycotting the conference because the policy to allow couples in cheaper than people who were,,single. And then I heard from an- other local cherished firebrand that she wasn't going because it seemed that the entire coalition is just made up of pro marriage assimilationists. She may have been right, and I pointed out that without her and some other vocal troublemakers, that is exactly how it would appear to everyone. It did seem like we all got along and agreed on everything, which of course is hardly reality, the conference was a success. We came, we networked, we schmoozed. There was no huge controversy, there was no spirited debate. Nothing like the ”Queer” question of conferences past. But honestly I sort of miss having something to take a side on. At the end of the day, at the town meeting part basically we all congratulated ourselves and thanked each other. I miss the passion. Despite the lack of controversy, despite the lack of criti- cism, despite the turn out, the truth is that people don't have much faith in the Coalition. No one is sure what the purpose is, and no one wants to be on the coalition. Beside the conference people arehard pressed to say what the VCLGR has done since passage of the gay rights law. According to Keith Goslant, the number one priority of the VCLGR is Gay marriage, which I have a problem with, gay marriage is the focus of the Freedom to Marry Task Force, and if people want to work on that issue, then I encourage them to join the Task Force. Little is achieved by having two organizations work on this. Every year the question is raised, what should the coali- tion be doing? Every year a laundry list of issues is rolled out, but every year we seem to have the same vacuum in having the piinblems dealt with by the coalition. That is not neccesarily the fault of the coalition, the list is diverse and disjointed and the coalition isn't really equipped to deal with these issues. For some of the problems, there are already organizations in place, for youth there is OutRight, for the dissemination of information and community building there is Out In The Mountains, for so- cializing there are W.O.W. and S.A.M. When the coalition was first formed, few if any of these groups existed. Looking at the resource guide in the first OITM there were less than 15 groups, now turn to our source page (pg 9) and take a look. For other issues groups can be formed to deal specifically with them, like the recently formed Same Sex Domestic Violence task Force. Thanks in part to the work of the coalition we are too large and diverse a community to be served by just one blanket group any more. - ' By rights a true coalition would be made up of representa- tives of these groups themselves. And I would like to see a sum- mit of these groups, rather than a coalition that parallels the work of the numerous groups. I don't know for sure what the coalition should do, but I think that it should seriously consider the option of disbanding altogether and redistributing its resources. At this moment there are only three members, and a lack of focus. Now is the time to do it. I personally want the conference to continue, because it is an important event for our community, but that only needs and would best be served by a planning committee focused on the conference alone. I This is just my opinion, and I hope to hear responses to this. I offer the pages of Out In The Mountains as a forum to address the future of the coalition. Out in the Mountains . February 1996 . page I0 .1‘ Community -— Resources ACLU (American Civil Libertin Union) Nntianll Auocinion of semi Workanj Vermont AIDS Action cammmee 4: sun Strut Le-bian md Guy lnuu Committee c/o VLGR Mentpdi-r. V1’ 05602 c/o Box 141 Box 251 (302) 221-134: Woodnocl, VT Hinuburg, V1‘ 05461 05091 Burlington War-Mn’: Council vav (Vermont my Volleybnll) any H-ll sums (Burlington .... women’: mup) Box 243 Burlington, VT D5401 6/0 Mlry Bentley Hinuburg, VT B546]. (802) 858-9500 at. 125 PO Box 341 (recreltionnl volllyblll for Ill ltvel Winoo:ki.VT D5404 pllyeru , avnry Sunday 6-! pm in Burlington) cart... (bu) :0 Elliot Sim: Bnsllebom, VT 05301 (301) 254-5545 Pun ma Justin Center in Cullen Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 868-5328 Vermont x..:e.r.m. curman ra. lnlhiln me my Concern: :/o Philip nab...- 1-4: am. Road °'Y/I-"W" N‘/’”"'°'L flux Junction, VT 05452 Weaken Avcnu-, Soln Hill: Mmuion Pm“ (BK) a..m.bo.o, VT 05801 "5 P_ "1 sum smfldm ll 8 pm 5'"““l‘°" vncn (Vermonters r Lab‘ 4 or . (am) m—2a¢3 my m‘,,,_) m In Box zai Hinuburg, VT 05461 (poliliul Ldvocny, lpolken buruu, community moumu. infarm-clan) Menu in Ind 3rd Thundlyt, 1.30 pm, Pun Ind Junie. Center, c.y/r...s.... AA Mun 'r....a.y. ma -rim...-i.y. .. a pm 5.2.4 :15, Modiul cum. Holpilnl B“ W Sundnyl IE I pm Rutltnd Cantu V1’ Kin; Shoo! Youth Canter 05756 ‘ lucs (llullnnd A... cm) RAINBOW “*5 EIFRCLE ALL INCLUSIVE (VLLcnd¢' ALTERNATIVE PERSONAL Toll Free 1-888-899-RCOF(7263) MRODUCHON P.O.Box 518 Merrimack NH 03054 SERVICE email: RainbowCOF@aol.com Serving New England Burlington SAM (Socill A.ltu-rulivu for Guy Mm) lrmcriry (I-elhinn and guy Epiuopliun, Box 419 .,,.,, r. .11, N,,,.,,,d,_ V... 050,, Women’! Hullh Cantu Box 1:: mun 1.30 pm Tuudnyl 3“ "mh Mum- aunznzcon, V1‘ om: 3“'“'*I‘°"- V1’ 054"! (302) 563-1336 UVM-GLSA (Univcnily of v.....a..¢ rc-um. Guy ma lmbinn s...a...e Allinncc) , Box 53: Box :1, w.a;i.: Hall. wa...... Helping amma Women B-Minna... VT own luau»... c....p... Po. Box 1535 (mm. ...m. .\.....-l.... ma mam um Burlington, vr am: vorld cullunl, oduullonnl Ind mourn auzlingcon, V1‘ os4os hokllm (302) 655-1996 F°"P) (I02) SEE-D713 omen (lD2)d5I-3131 Whtfcvlltyrixu take along for pleasure, consider my ' We may _ Vermont, but we're not Immurge to AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases