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I like to dance, watch movies, cuddle, and much mare.(PittsfieId) 310835 I I WANTED TO SAY I'm an i attractive, intelligent, fun lovi , adventurous, kind hearted, Vlflgiite ‘ female, who'd like to find a simi- lar womyn who's trustworthy and verygood looking. (Albany) s 38565 LESBIAN LONGING Twenty six r male seeks a lesbian, §i>°oo 27, to Fulfill my desires. -1- (Albany) «saw I, GETTING ACQUAINTED I'm a if 30 year old, White female, with Brown hair and Blue eyes, and I'd love to meet some new people. I (Rutland) «-1029: Marriage Suits Moves to VT Supreme Court continued from front page Shelburne, South Burlington and Milton where the couples had been denied marriage licenses. In their challenge, the couples contend that existing Vermont laws do allow same-gender marriage and, if not, that those laws violate the state's Constitution. No trial was necessary because the issue at this stage in the case is whether, as a matterof law, the couples have a right to marry. Judge Levitt outlined her analysis of the case in an opinion issued with the dismissal. She began by rejecting the State's contention that the question of same-gender civil marriage should be reserved for the legislature. Although it is the legislature's job to enact new law, the judicial branch maintains the power to interpret and apply law. Furthermore, Judge Levitt asserted it is thejudiciary’s job to review all statutes in light of the Vermont Constitution when a violation of constitutional rights is alleged. Vermont's marriage laws contain no explicit prohibition against marriage between people of the same gender but the Attorney General argued that multiple gender—based references in the stat- ute to "bride" and ”groom" and "husband" and "wife" were proof of the legislature's intention to limit marriage to mixed-gender couples. Judge Levitt agreed. She declined the plaintiff's invitation to examine the legislative intent in any more detail or breadth and concluded that current Vermont statutes do not allow same-gender marriage. From there she proceeded to review the constitutional- ity of the existing marriage laws. The plaintiffs based their arguments on the Common Benefits Clause of the Vermont Consti- tution which provides in part: ”That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community, and not for the particular emolu- mentor advantage of any single person, family, or set of persons, who are a part only of that commu- nity..." Vt. Const., Ch. I, Art. 7. When looking for violations of this clause, Vermont courts rely on an analytical framework developed throughrfederal equal protection law. First, the Court must decide how closely to exam- ine the State's claimed justifications for its discrimination. If the most exacting type of review, known as "strict scrutiny” applies, the State has to show a compelling interest to justify its discrimination; if the more deferential review, known as "rational basis” applies, the State only needs to show that its discrimination is reasonably related to a legitimate state purpose. An intermediate level of review is also possible. To select the appropriate level of review, the court must determine whether a "funda- mental right" is at stake, or whether the plaintiffs are members of a "suspect class". If not, only the minimal standard of review applies. Judge Levitt found neither a fundamental right nor a suspect class to justify heightened scru- tiny of the marriage laws. In the first tier of this analysis, she rejected the plaintiffs’ argument that the freedom to join in marriage with the person of one's choice is a federally and state recognized funda- mental right. Although she agreed that mixed—gender marriages do receive constitutional protec- tion, she held that these protections did not apply to same—gender marriages because those protec- tions derive from the connections between marriage, sexual intercourse, and procreation. She also rejected the plaintiffs’ argument that both sexual orientation and gender are suspect classifications requiring a heightened standard of review in this case. While noting a clear history of discrimination against gays, Judge Levitt rejected sexual orientation as a suspect classification be- cause being gay "is not a characteristic that is as readily determinable by third parties as race, gender or alienage....[and because] gays have not been denied access to the political system, and cannot be seen as politically powerless." And while Judge Levitt ngxt noted that gender is a recognized suspect classification which requires a heightened level of scrutiny, she denied its applicability to the issue at hand. Referring again to the definition of marriage which is premised on a union between partners of opposite gender, Judge Levitt drew the circular conclusion that an individual's gender is irrel- evant to marriage because all men and all women are treated in the same fashion. According to the judge, members of each sex have the same right to enter into civil marriage so long as they do so in a manner consistent with the definition of marriage. . Having found neither a fundamental right nor an applicable suspect classification, Judge Levitt proceeded with the final stage of her analysis in which she reviewed the marriage statutes with minimal scrutiny to look for a rational relationship between any legitimate legislative purpose and the restriction against same—gender marriage. Ironically, it was in this search for any one legitimate public policy objective that the statute nearly failed. Judge Levitt rejected six out of seven justifica- tions offered for the State's refusal to grant same-gender couples the right to civil marriage. In brief, these purported interests are: an interest in uniting men and women to "bridge their differences"; an interest in promoting a setting which provides both male and female role models; an interest in preserving the ”time honored” institution of marriage; an interest in ensuring that Vermont mar- riages are recognized in other states; an interest in preserving the Legislature's authority to channel behavior and make normative statements; and an interest in minimizing the use of modern fertility treatments in order to avoid increased child custody and visitation disputes. Having found in the first six items no adequate State interests, Judge Levitt found in the seventh reason a satisfactory basis: the State's purported interest in furthering the link between procreation and childrearing. On this basis alone the marriage statute survived her constitutional review. _ Judge Levitt’s repeated focus on the connection between marriage and procreation is both cause for frustration and hope for supporters of the plaintiffs’ case. "The Judge's reasoning is ironic," said plaintiffs Nina Beck and Stacy Jolles. "Gay and lesbian.individuals and couples like us have children. We share the State's concern for promoting stable homes for children. That's why we wanted to marry." Judge Levitt also declined to explain how the State's admitted interest in favoring the needsof families headed by mixed-gender couples over those headed by same—gender couples can survive the particular language of Vermont's Common Benefits Clause which offers families as well as individuals equal protectionvunder law. Attorney's for the plaintiffs are now preparing a brief for their appeal to the Supreme Court where they will argue once again for the freedom to marry. ”It is our fervent hope" said Plaintiffs Peter Harrigan and Stan Baker, ”that the Vermont Supreme Court will come out in favor of love and commitment, and against discrimination." The Plaintiffs and their attorneys remain optimistic. Unitarian Universalists and Interweave continued from page sixteen the beginning. Many may recall Pride rallies and parades beginning on the UU front steps. The congregation has also been consistent in supporting Vermont Cares, first offering space to the group when it was started and then covering the uninsured costs of rebuilding after an arsonist attacked. He points out that, at the Annual Meeting in June of 1997, the congregation unanimously endorsed same-sex marriages without debate. It went on to debate for a half hour, without resolution, how to decorate the vestibule. Kowalski feels that UU’s are usually a little ahead of the curve, pushing the envelope in a progressive direction, but also changing and growing themselves. This is evidenced by two mile- stones in UU history. A 1967 a survey within the North American UU found that 80.2% of UU’s believed that homosexuality should not be discouraged by law, but should be discouraged through education. Not exactly supportive. In 1970, just a year after Stonewall and, significantly, after a promi- nent UU came out, the UUA General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the end of discrimina- tion against homosexuals. With some fits and starts, the UUA had become an ardent supporter of ours by the early 1980's. Interweave is a funded and staffed office at the‘UUA of North America in Boston. Each con- gregation is free to utilize Interweave locally as they wish. In Burlington, Interweave is a loose knit group which meets the second Sunday of each month for a potluck at 12:30 downstairs in the social room of the Meeting House. Interweave has recently participated in the formation of a parents group for glbt people with children. People need not be connected with the UU in order to join in on the potlucks. I have found the UU to be very comfortable for me. Most importantly, to me, I have never gotten even a whiffofbeing tolerated. I have felt, rather, that my sexuality and glbt culture in general are celebrated and honored at this place and by these people - ._._.-_. .¢.... ._ ._ V (,(_._ _._.u (_.r-_.. .. v,\.‘:" c.'LA’Y"t:"'E‘3 -‘.~ . .1. 52.‘ «.t'\. in G.’ I’: '.':.~:C .1