6 - OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS — FEBRUARY 1998 "I buy all my stuff at the Peace &jL1stice Store, where else?" -tois, mwor Peaec 8.; Justice Store 2! Church St..Bur!in:;ton 863-8326 0|lL'll 7D;i_\s Quite Simply". Tlic mics!‘ C('\il(‘Cl’l()l1 oil .l.-'t.imit.L1rc, (_:£tt'pLTl'lI’lg Sc Acccssi'.)i"v.':.\ in Ycrmtimt Rutland House Ltd. r15. 1‘.'30 - in tne heart at - manchester center, xvarrnont (802)362-2001 152 south mam skeet ruztand, vermant 05701 (302)775-2911 from all over Vermont: (800)849-2911 * if phoenix rislg * , - spirited jewelry & gifts - ~k r I *“:.~'3§$.’$.“!’ .€iiti'r 1-Riga V L Waldo’: Cari Dependable Professional Service Low Rates for Contracts Cell: AL-238-0836 Burlington, VT Gay Owner BY REV. CHRISTINE LEsL1E n January 27, 1997 Martha and I packed up the balance of our be- longings in our Jeep Cherokee wagons so we could caravan our way north to our new home here in Vermont. We made quite a en- tourage with our wagons full of clothes, sleeping blankets, and mildly sedated animals all safely stowed in various accommoda- tions in our two vehicles. We ar- rived that evening and were warmly met by our new neighbors who welcomed us with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, two bees- wax candles, and a six pack of Ver- mont beer. While we ate dinner at Ev- ergreen Eddy’s, we watched the snow fall and bemoaned the fact that we had packed the snow shovels on the moving van. When we went to the grocery store we couldn't figure out where every- body was. In New Jersey the mere hint of snow sends people stream- ing into the local grocery stores to stock up. . The six weeks prior to our move had been a whirlwind filled with travel (two trips to Burlington for Martha to inter- view at St. Paul's and ten days in Houston to celebrate Martha's parents’ 50th wedding anniver- sary), packing, resignations from our jobs, and saying ”good-bye” to dear friends in New Jersey. Little did we know then what a difference a year in Vermont would make in our lives! The first few months here were tough for us. We had the — house to settle, new jobs to start, and no time to network and make new friends. We were lonesome and homesick. But once we got through Martha's first two months on the job at St. Paul's and I had figured out what I was going to do with myself, we were able to explore ways to meet new people and make friends. This began in late March when I dropped off my first Tri- angle Ministries ad to Hugh Coyle at the Out in the Mountains office. As Hugh and I talked about OITM, he suggested that I write a monthly column for the paper, which I have done since last May. That same morning, as I helped get the April issue of Out in the Mountains ready for mailing, I met a number of wonderful people. Among them were Sarah Faitggatters & Love Harrington, Iudy Beaulac, Roy Hedrick, Margrit Dutta, Donna Freeman, and Joy Griffith. I de- cided to have lunch with several of these folks, who wound up in- troducing me to the Rainbow Business Association. This proved to be very helpful to me person- ally and professionally. Several of these same folks also loved the idea of being in a sacred music Chorale for friends and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. The other organization I be- came involved with last spring was the Greater Burlington Area Ministerial Association. This lively group of clergy colleagues was thrilled that Martha had been hired to serve at St. Paul's as the Assistant to thelnterim Rector. They were also delighted to have me, an out ordained lesbian, as a pastoral counseling colleague, to whom they could refer parishio- ners struggling with spirituality and sexual-identity issues. Of this group I am espe- cially grateful to Dr. Roddy O'Neil Cleary, and the Revs. Michael Brown and Becky Strader. These ministerial colleagues got me in- volved with the G/L/B/T/ Pride Day Interfaith Worship Service Planning Committee and the UVM National Coming Out Week Planning Committee. Helping to plan and lead the 1997 G/L/B/T Pride Day Interfaith Worship Ser- vice connected me to more people interested in forming a sacred music Chorale for friends and members of the g/l/b/t commu- nity. The interest of these new people, along with the original dreamers mentioned above,- mo- tivated me to organize The Samadhi Singers during the sum- mer so we could perform a con- cert as part of UVM’s observances of 1997's National Coming Out Week. And perform we did on October 11th to a packed house of 250+ people jammed into St. Paul's magnificent sanctuary! The Samadhi Singers are blessed to have Michael Brown and Becky Strader involved. The support of their loving congrega- tion, Christ Church, Presbyterian, where they are co-pastors, and Michael and Becky’s membership in the choir, have helped The Samadhi Singers to succeed and flourish. I am deeply grateful for their love and friendship, and for their faith in the g/1/b/t/ sacred music chorale idea from the get go. During the summer I began scanning the newspapers for po- sitions for which I might be quali- fied. In mid-November I accepted the Women's Rape Crisis Center's invitation to become their execu- tive director. This new job is giv- ing me the opportunity to use my skills and talents in non-profit management for a cause I care about. It has also introduced me to yetanother wonderful group of people, with whom I am honored to work and serve. WRCC's faith Tell them you found it at THAT BOOK STORE ON EASTERN AVENUE USED AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS PAPERBACKS - HARD COVER - PAPER EPHEMERA vr mn NH BOOKS - USED mn OUT-OF-PRINT BUY - SELL 0 TRADE Monday-Saturday 10:00-8:00, Sunday ll-.00-8:O0...usua||y 71 Eastern Avenue. St. Johnsbury. Vermont 0581‘) - 802 748-1722 BOB STREETER ' DAVE WARDEN Matters in me means a great deal to me. I already feel very much at home in this organization and look for- ‘ward to all that we will accom- plish together. When Martha and I arrived here a year ago, I didn’t have a clue about what our first year in Vermont would be like. As I look back on all that has ensued these 12 months, I am reminded once againjust how much faith matters and just how much love matters. Without the faith we have in our- selves, each other, and The Holy One, I don't think Martha and I w uld have dared move to Ver- mont for the reasons we did. And were it not for the love and sup- port of all of our new friends, straight and g/l/b/t alike, we couldn't have weathered the darker hours of our first year in Vermont as well as we did. What a year different expe- riences and new people have made in my life! I am already look- ing forward to pondering what events of 1998 will have strength- ened my faith, and what relation- ships will have widened the circle of love in my life. May it be so for all of us. Rev. Christine Leslie, the first openly ordained lesbian in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is founder and director of Triangle Min- istries, A Center For Lesbian 59* Gay Spiritual Development near Burlington, VT. Rev. Leslie is avail- ablefor individual and couple Coim- seling, workshops, retreats, and com- mitment ceremonies. Triangle Minis- tries at: http://Iriembers.aol.coin/revesl or email at revcsl@aol.com or call at 802-860-7106. Voices from the Mountains continued from page five as his grunts of exertion became louder. Soon the noises ceased and the pain in my butt subsided a great deal, as I was finally per- mitted to roll over. Christian's breathing was erratic, but I could tell from the smile on his face that, while unprotected, he had thor- oughly enjoyed the morning activ- ity, even if I had been excluded. Even if I felt dirty, cheap and vio- lated. Even if it was rape. Rapidly approaching the one year anniversary of my ”com- ing out,” I am sad to notice that little has changed in Virginia. In my hometown, there are still vir- tually no youth organizations for gays, and the fledgling commu- nity paper appears to be hiding in the wake of constant assaults by the Radical Right, headquartered in the southern part of the state. The absence of gay role models is as great as ever, and questioning youth have nowhere to turn ex- cept a collection of sleazy book- stores and equally repulsive bars, located among the area's most undesirable sections. Of course, there is always the internet and more experienced people to meet like Christian and the man who persuaded Peter to have sex in a parked car after talking with him for merely five minutes. When compared to Ver- mont, a state with local chapters of OutRight, ‘a youth organization, as well as the presence of Nina Beck, Stacy Jolles, Andrew Smith, Stan Baker and others, the plight of Virginia becomes even more VOICES, p20