from the I mountains BY MICHAEL C. ALBERO reat news! A New Jer sey high court re cently ruled that gay 11 should be allowed to ve in the Boy Scouts of erica. While this decision s greeted with delight by rights organizations ughout the country, it is a nder the case ever came to 1. After all, today's boy uts are very similar to an- er all male youth group, the ng Wandervogel, which inated over one hundred s ago in a small German n near Berlin. Not only did group serve as an educa- al tool and an outlet for ve young men, but it also ated a supportive environ- nt where homosexuality First established in 1896, Wandervogel consisted of eral young men in search of ndship. In an attempt to ngthen the bonds between h individual, the group of- ventured into the German demess. Popular activities uded hiking and camping, members learned to cook doors and survive on their n with only the bare neces- s. Frequently, their adven- s were conducted solely by , and the lone philosophy g_,, cture, the Wandervogel ckly' expanded despite the cism of many concerned lts. They could not under- d the desire of young men T.|.P. revealed continued from page four right to influence public policy decisions and need to speak out. Secular arguments will carry more weight than reli- gious ones, they said. They dis- cussedlusing public rallies and radio spots to publicize these discussion points. They realize that they are up against a mistrust of reli- gion and of ”outsiders” and popular media support of same—gender marriage. So, they hope to mobilize people at the grassroots level to speak to their legislators, eventually to pass a constitutional amend- ment stating that marriage is between one man and one woman. ' » Although not affiliated with TIP, an informational J meeting also was held at the THE FACES, p8 tered around ”learning by I As a. ‘result of the lackof I for extended journeys into the uncomfortable environment of the German countryside. In addition, it was a popular be- lief of parents that the groups were ”alienating” young men from_ the feminine sex. In an attempt to assuage these fears, adult supervision was finally granted, but each individual group maintained ultimate power. One man who became involved in "the youth move- ment was Wilhelm Jansen, who quickly gained the respect of many young men. Unlike most adult supervisors, Jansen was permittedto engage in several group activities and ascended to the role of a father figure. Jansen was openly ho- mosexual, and there was much speculation concerning the ex- tent of his involvement with the youth. Vicious rumors cir- culated among other adult sponsors. Eventually a scandal arose, causing Jansen and his young charges to split from the Wandervogel and establish their own sect. Wanting to maintain the initial aspects of the group, Jansen and his fol- lowers, including new leader Hans Bluher, christened their organization the Young Wandervogel. Shortly after the establishment of this new fac- tion, a novel outlining the ba- sic principles of the group was published by Shuler entitled The German Wandervogel Move- ment tzs Erotic Phenomenon. . Immediately attacked by adults as ’indecent_,’ Shuler7s work was a vivid explanation of the motives ofthe Young Wandervogel. Although origi- nally created as an alternative to the German educationlsys- tern, the group rapidly trans- Curbside ........_.—..-.....—.—q-_._...-. dining OUT ll\l THE MouNTA:Ns — MAY 1998 — S formed into a separate lifestyle for young people. I/Vhile actual sexual activity seldom oc- curred, the group was founded on strong homosexual senti- ments. Members spent much of their time in each other’s company, considering it in bad taste to spend time with women. The leader, often sev- eral years older, played a cen- tral role inarousing the inter- est and enthusiasm of his troop. Happiest in the com- pany of their charges, leaders directed all of their energy to- ward their own sex, giving selflessly of their love. Accord- ing to Shuler, ”just as the lead- erswere attracted to their boys, so were the boys attracted to their leaders. In both cases this attraction was sexually based.... The leaders were ‘ac- tive...’ while the youths were the beloved, and hence ‘pas- sive....’ The act of sex was not the primary importance, rather being in the company of men.” Even though America's boy scouts differ somewhat from the German Young Wandervogel, there are defi- nite similarities. Not only do both foster friendships among fellow troop members, involve aspects of nature and ’’learning by doing,” but they are also directly influenced by the times. Initiated at the end of the German romantic period, the Wandervogel was ”firmly rooted in the exchange of love between leaders and follow- ers.” Perhaps, with a little luck, America's boy scouts will adopt a similar attitude, and look beyond the sexual orien- tation of members. Now, wouldn't THAT be truly great? Thanks to Gay Roots: Twent}/‘Years of Gay Sunshine ; edited by Winston Leyland. v (802) 524-6135 FRESH SEAFOOD. LUNCHES. DINNERS, SPECIALTY Fooos, CATERING 65 Noam MAIN STREET Sr. ALBANS, VT 05478 Itoule 103 0 Ludlow, Vennont - 802-228-5622 Seafood and Steak Tnvern LUDLOWS r-nzmene omen HOUSE ,--;a.: V Visit Our Web Page: http: / /'www.sover.net/'-vsenfood 1 Golden Threads Discreet Contact Publication for Lesbian Women over 50, andyounger http: / /members.aol.com/ goldentred I index.htm Sample 0013)’ $5 email: GOLDENTRED@aol.com P. O ‘Box 65, Richford. VTO5-476-0065 Triangle‘? Ministries NYAYAVAV’ A Cent’er'For Lesbivan Sr Spilrlitual Deve'lopnjent» ‘ Individuaptlcouple :5: Group Counseling’ Commitment! Servicesyworkshops 5: Retreats V14 Whi Rev. fihfisfine 5. Leslie, M.Div.* te Birch Lane - Williston, VT‘ 05495 802-860-71lQ6— --‘{:Em'§il: revcsl@aol.com http://members.'aol.cpom/revcsl BY EOBERT KIRBY %%&§H@§ Roam KUZBY @'‘l‘‘3 5* UH,THAT WAS A %”‘il°,'3t«‘-‘ta __. ‘ 5 ° . sv;£1§:lU5;qrdLl> I. wAIs BEING You BE... FORE '. FROM DETROIT, REMEMBER? Ques- N... - - OH. Vi YEAH, SE51 3 ‘NEW WE HAD TALKED wELL,DlD You EVER IMAGINE THAT one DAY Youto FLY AWAY To New YORK CITYAND a/do UP WITH A 6uY L\KE ME? 1'. KNONT. DQEAMED ABOUT You YEAR AGO, MANY 'l'lMES.YOu w RE... uNevwAe:.e. .$TUl-‘F. —" l . ARE You .Sf\YnJC-: I w/as TALKING ‘(oo'RE PsYCHxc? ABOUT 1: Dunno IF I ,..; l>R£DesTlNA'1'loN... geueve lN THAT Feller-:1’ (T, -l,.l O\< , So HE DIDN'T SAY IT B/\c|<....BuT(3oJ) I'LL T'HlI\lK Asour Allow»!