2 -4 Our INITHE .N\OUNT/\IN.S l—-I JUNE. 1999 EDITORIAL wo years ago this month, I ventured tentatively into Burlington in the company of two straight friends and my daughter to check out this thing called Pride. On the way down to the waterfront, we encountered a small but noisy group of women that very nearly sent me running back to my car. Although I was certain of my own orientation at that point, I was almost equally as certain I would never feel comfortable wearing the word ‘dyke‘ as proudly as these women did. I didn’t know how to look at them without staring, and I didn’t know how to express the feelings of wonder and envy I felt that made me want to stare so much. I mustered my courage and continued toward Battery Park. I stayed close to the group I later learned was the Dyke March, but didn’t dare leave the sidewalk to actually join them. At the park, I knew no one except those I rode in with. Ijust sat and watched what was going on around me. Of all the new faces I saw that day, the only ones that I remember clearly belong to a male couple and their two beautiful baby boys. Again, I found myself staring as I lingered on the edge of this community I wanted to join, if only I could work up the nerve. When the parade started, I went ahead ofthe crowd to find a place on Church Street from which to observe the goings on. I had no intention of marching. Five Letters Starts with ‘P’..., Then I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. One of my classmates from college was there in the throng of people following the Bread & Puppet boat. I hurried out into the street to give her a ering on the edge that might be looking for the invitation to join in.'On this, our most visible day, we need to be our most welcom- ing as well. To those of you in the place I On this, our most visible day, we need to be our most welcoming as well. hug and say a quick hello, and was immediately drawn into the group as it moved down the block. My friend introduced me to some people around us, and we chatted our way down the mar- ketplace. I finished the parade route with them. Little did I know that a photographer would pre- serve this seminal moment in my queer life for posterity on the front page of the lifestyle section of the next day’s paper.-There I was — out and proud of it. Needless to say, my days of cowering on the edge of the com- munity are gone. I’m in the thick ofthings and loving it. But I can’t forget what I was looking for on my first Pride Day. I want to encourage everyone who is comfortably a part of the crowd to look for someone hov- was only two years ago, I say, take heart and jump on in. It may just change your life. Speaking of Pride. This month’s paper is full of reasons for all of us to be proud. We cover television documen- taries by and about GLBT Vermonters, the recognition of one of our former editors in the “best of the small press” antholo- gy, our active and visible youth community, the great celebration that the Pride Vennont committee is planning, and a spring legisla- tive session that did more good than harm. What more could we ask for? ‘ This is the largest issue of Out in the Mountains we’ve ever been able to print. Don’t think for a minute that I’m not proud of that. Every week I hear of more trouble in the queer press — good papers going under. They are dropping like flies out there and we just keep growing stronger and stronger. The community shows us daily how important our work is in the form of sub- scriptions and donations. This paper appears monthly because a large number of people feel it is a vital part of queer life in Vermont. No one makes a living from it; but if pride could pay the rent, we’d all be in good shape. Which Brings Me to Another Point.. . Although our subscriber base is growing and the donations keep coming, our advertisers pro- vide the most significant source of income for the paper. Please continue to be loyal to the folks who advertise with us and make sure they know that their ad in OITM is paying off. Mention where you heard of them and even how much you appreciate their support of your communi- ty’s paper. Now more than ever, and for more reasons than ever before, we need to be visible in this way. Let’s let businesses know how much they need the queer com- munity and how much we sup- port our allies. Without these _ advertisers, we simply would not have a paper. End of Sermon Go forth, be proud, and cele- brate! See you at Pride. V nada. zippo. zi|ch..nichivo. nothin’ baby! Non-commerical classifieds in 01 T M don’t cost one red cent. Whatavor. you take along. for pleasure. consider this: we may Feelisafe I hike c ance... rvermont, but we're not immune; e a condo, j ,;—,eEp1ToRIAL ASSIS ’ “.r'fina>Giangrand —jPRoDUC1‘IoN‘Ass1 _ I 3 Mack _Roark “ V — OFFICE MANAGER — j, V . I ‘Jim Petrie, -SOURCE/CALENDAR EDITOR- - I. Gary Smith — CIRCULATION ’MANAGER —” - ’ “Kevin McAteer , - Columnists: ‘SkeeterjSanders,' . ’ Crowd Cohen, Rev. Christine ,Leslie,:.- Susan Murray, Beth Robinson, Esther Rothblum, Miki Thomas, Thomasl Henning, Charles Emond ‘ Contributors: Chris Tebbetts-, , , Walter Zeichner, Kevin MCAIBGB T Carolyn Ashby, Hugh Coyle, Cathy Resmer,‘ Tina Glangrande, Tim Evans, Laura Miller I ‘ Photographers: Maxwell Stroud, Cathygiilesrrier,TageiLilja,,Barbara 1 Dozetos Cartoonists: Alison Wendel,’ '7 7 1: Robert Kirby,.Enfc,Omer I -MOUNTAIN PRIDE MED1A- 1 B/OARDQF/DIRECTORS ‘ Cheryl Carmi, Garrett Kimberly, ‘ _ Bennett Law,"Jim P_etrie,lKevin .McAteer, Rekha Ftosha,*Joseph . I ._ Struggle,’ jsamaia ‘ Foundation ‘of,'Verrn‘bnt,' Hay.marketPeop|e’s1Fund.i ' ' ualtpri: V. ,d_ .. . '"We"alSb7Seé7OfTM;ss /\ ’t|ie.¢é / rattan °fthe’¢ut!uije:7and; thsle’ b'an;9év.,biseX.u’al.andtran .. “ "vi ontande’ Wéiwt I .75“ i<\"7PUl’?li°¥'i\1i9ti."<'1?1V material which.» broadens: ‘our unde“rstanding:..ofi5'our litestylesand “of each other. jViews"and»opin-_ ionSiéPDeavl19_inthé paperdotriothecessaré ily‘represent those of Outin the Mountains. Thisllipaper ‘cannot ‘and will not endorse any candidates ' erections of, public, oltlcialsjon issues ot_irnportance.ioflesbiansfgay I an; bisexualsiand transgendered persori ” We reserve the right not to publish any “mate- rial deemed to be overtly racist. sexist, anti- Semitic, lageist, classist; xenophobic, or homophobic. g I O ' I ’ Writers’ guidelines are available on request. All materials submitted must include a name and a contact number. However, within the pages of the newspaper, articles may appear anonymously upon request, and strict confi-. dentially will be observed. Out in the Mountains (ISSN 1081-5562) is published on the last Tuesday of each month by Mountain Pride Media, Inc. It is printedgat The News and Citizen in Morrisvi||e,VT. The newspaper maintains offices on Bridge Street in Richmond,VermonL the United States of America. @1999, Out in the Mountains Out in the Mountains PO Box 1078 Richmond VT 05477-1078 TEL (802) 434-OITM. FAX (802) 434-7046 oitm@together.net The subscription rate is $20 per year within .