’ Equity . , . . Solidarity Web, which allows, 12 — OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS — NOVEMBER 1998 flillillfl Back to the communitv: The Peace and Justice Store BY CHRIS TEBBETTS ocky Steeves and Kathy RBouton want people to think of dollars as votes. The two campaign daily against sweatshop and child labor; for women’s co-ops and cooperative projects in devel- oping countries; against big box stores and suburban sprawl; for diversity and small business — all from behind the counter of Burlingto.n’s Peace and Justice Store, which they co-manage. In business full-time since 1984, the store is a fundraising project of its umbrella organi- zation, the Peace and Justice. Center. ' “The ..Center also,- includes 1_lieiRac‘ral _Ii1stice”,a_—,nd- Project and retire the Center to act as a fiduciary for othernon-profits. Bouton, a familiar face to most who have spent any time on Church Street, has been with the store since it moved to its current location in 1991. Steeves came on board in 1995. “We don’t want to sup- port ‘just shopping’ or blind consumerism,” he say-s. In the business of selling both goods and a social mission, “This is the thing we have to deal with all the time...but I think some- times people don’t think [about] the way they spend their money.” The store’s wares include books and periodicals, cards, music, crafts, housewares and jewelry, all carefully chosen to fit with its mission: “to pro- (‘F in IIIIIBII Will] the lllifllllllll Gllllllllllllllll IIBIWBBII ISSIIES Ill WTM. We’ve set up three new e-mail listservs to keep you up to . date with everything from the local gossip to national issues. VTPri de N et: an e-mail discussion list. LGBT folks from across Vermont — and the people who love them — can now , exchange messages If you’d rather get your chatter in one neat package “When I came in, ” says Bouton, “I think I made it more of ‘that kind’ of store. ” ceooouoooooo-oenoooooanououoocooco mote change by providing alternative and meaningful products and educational mate- ‘_rials:. that foster cooperation, ;i;equ«31..itY and a sustainab.1e.,soci- '3'et.y.»”_ ' ' A emphasizes affordable, practical things, “not just tchotchkes,” says Steeves. There are environmentally friendly products, items that support working cooperatives around the world, and of course a selection of GLBT- related items. The store is arguably the queerest place on Church Street. “When I came in,” says Bouton, “I think I made it more of ‘that kind’ of store. We just kept expanding as the commu- nity grew and came to us for things. The queer community is an essential part of our busi- ness.” And vice versa, adds Steeves. “One of our functions is as a focal point of the [queer] community.” The store regularly gets drop-in inquiries and phone calls asking how to photo: Scot Applegate Cathy Bouton, co—manager of Burlington 19 Peace & Justice Store often takes the store on the road to community events like the VCLGR conference. connect with other GLBT peo- ple and organizations. It also frequently donates merchan- dise to such groups as Vermont Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Rights, and most recently to a new GLBT student organiza- tion at Burlington High School. There are also projects— ranging from the serious to the (seemingly) frivo1ous—that get the two managers out from behind the counter. The Center recently produced a Vermont job gap study to gauge the dif- ference between earnings and the real cost of living and to find incentives that let busi- nesses pay a truly liveable wage. It is a. good example of the kind of reciprocity they work to create. “Businesspeople are realizing that it gives back when you pay people well and treat them well,” says Bouton. On the lighter side, they have produced a series of ben- efit concerts involving such notables as Cheryl Wheeler and Patty Larkin. Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For book signings are always popular events, and they have had multiple requests to repeat their Cat Pride festival of a few years ago. “I’m very political, but I hire to have fun too,” says Bouton. “I think that’s really important, instead of always, doing the hard work. It can wear you out.” There are also classes, read- ings, available meeting space, a library, and an open door pol- icy when it comes to communi- ty input. Bouton describes their work as generally “try[ing] to respond to what it seems the community needs, in terms of justice issues.” Anyone wishing to support the Center can shop at the store (“we have a small book sec- tion, but I’ll special order ANYTHING,” says Bouton), volunteer time or make a cash donation. In the broader scope, Bouton and Steeves point out, people can become conscious To subscribe to any of the lists, send e-mail to majordomo@queernet.org specify the list you want to join: é instead of individual messages, check out VTPride N et- OR . digest. Instead of getting each e-mail separately, you'll get . one long message that contains all the day’s postings. OR For those who aren’t up for chatter but want to keep up with major newsevent notices and paper deadlines (of course), there’s VTPrideNet-announce. There's no discussion V on this list — just announcements as events warrant. subscribe vtpridenet subscribe vtpridenet-digest subscribe vtpridenet-announce of where and how they spend money, and the source of goods. When business owners hear “where does this come from?” enough times, says Steeves, it makes an impact. Negative reactions to their work have been few and far between —— an occasional phone message or complaint letter. “It feels cruddy,” says Rocky Steeves.‘ ‘ sornettnies peopile don {think [about] the way they spend theirmoney. ’’ C 4' Steeves, “but also lets you know that you’re out there. It’s not good, but it’s a struggle and in any struggle there’s going to be things like that.” Bouton agrees that the work is worth the negligible amount of backlash. “When we just put ourselves out there in a posi- tive light, it’s really hard for people to respond in a negative way. That’s one thing that I love about the store. We just keep putting positive images of a lot of things out, and people come in and I think it opens people’s hearts.” V In the body of your e-mail, you should include one of the following lines to If you need assistance, email us at oitm@together.net + loin the virtual nllmommunitvtouavl a_l, .