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_VERMONT'S FORUM FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER ISSUES

UT IN THE MOUNTAINS

 

VOLUME Xlll, NUMBER 3

""“(31TM

ARE YOU HIP
TO T.I.P.?

I Local high school
schedules and then

High School found itself in the
middle of a controversial prac-

V Look into the life
of Esther Rothblum,

 

The school's associate
principal,»]oe Corasaniti, in-
sisted that the appearance was
intended to balance a perfor-
mance by local musician Craig
Mitchell, who is gay.

But the appearance by

center pull—out
arts & entertainment
section

V Saga & Sage
advice column,

P18 counselor Mark E. Williams

V The OlTM was postponed at the last
Travel Guide minute whenM1tchellfa1led to
’ show up for his own perfor-

P17 mance. Mitchell denied that he

refused to appear out of pro-

HIV/AIDS Services
updated in Bennington

BY ALICE MAZUR

The Bennington HIV / AIDS Service Program began in July
1997 through the working of the AIDS Consortium and the
Brattleboro Area AIDS Project to bring a program to Bennington
that followed the Quality Assurance Standards set down by the
Vermont Health Department.

Part of the program was to assess the needs of the
Bennington Community. Although the initial serviceswere di-
rected toward people infected with the HIV / AIDS virus, it soon
became apparent that little was going on in the area of educa-
tion and prevention.

The Bennington Service Program enlisted the help of
Elaine and Teddy DePrince. Teddy is 17 and has AIDS. He has
lost two brothers to the virus. Elaine and Teddy spoke to stu-
dents in area schools and’received a very favorable response
from students around Teddy's age. »

This led the way to the formation of a Gay-Straight Alli-
ance for adolescents. Eight students attended the first meeting
on February 4 and the numbers have increased at each meeting
since then. There is also a MSM group forming with the help of
Carey Johnson from Brattleboro.

The needs of people living with AIDS is a constant con-
cern in the Bennington area. The funding for medications is high
on the list, as is the need for HOPA housing spaces.

Because AIDS is often a dual disease, the Bennington
agency is fortunate to have a drug and alcohol counselor and
two psychologists on the advisory board. The board also includes
PLWAS, mental health professionals, social workers, HIV / AIDS
counselors, two students from the Cay-Straight Alliance group,
as well as other concerned persons. '

The agency doors are open to students after school and
testing is available for anyone who feels they may have been
involved in a risky behavior. Gay, lesbian and straight adoles-
cents know they have a place to come and fell free to talk about
who they are and how to protect themselves from risk.

V Fu|l—marriage “ _ ”
coverage and postpones ex gay
updates, counselor for talk
P8, 10/ "9 '
H EALTH 8‘ BY CHRISTOPHER M0135
WELL" E55 Mount Mansfield Union‘

tice last month when it sched-A

P23 uled an appearance by an ”ex-
_ . ’ gay counselor” to give a talk on
WI V 8-page ”Why I decided not to be gay.” '
I

. P,R.OGBAM..P5,

APRlL1998

test. He said there were ”per-
sonal reasons” for his ab-
sence. »

Still, the fact that the
school would schedule a
speaker from such a contro-
versial movement as the ex-

gay ministries has created an ‘.

Ei.r"~L

ongoing debate.

Williams is the dilectdr (it ~

New Journey, a part of the ex-

FREE

 

Mansfield Union Loses Its ‘Balance’

one can oglercome homosexual-
 The theoiv has come under
a greafdéal of fire, most recently
from the ékmerican Psychologi-

gay movement. Many conseApR 1 0 W9

vative Christians believe that
with prayer and counseling

 ‘ V  D EX-GAY, p20