20 — OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS — JUNE 1999 <§VP.1lI7 VALLEY PRINT 8ZWAIL The contribution of these Miami Herald reporters to fight- ing the denial and silence around AIDS is inestimable. Let their managing editor know that theirs is ajob well done. Contact: Larry Olmstead, Managing Editor, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, fax: 305.376.8950 “your printing 8’ mailing resource” The Rev. jimmy Creech Keeps On Keepin’ On In the May 15 Charlotte Observer, Anna Griffin profiled the Rev. Jimmy Creech, one of a half-dozen United Methodist ministers around the country-who performs same-sex marriage cer- emonies. Griffin chronicles Creech’s evolution from a civil rights activist during the late 1960s to a young pastor in North Carolina to a pastor who marched Contact Sarah Harrington PO. Box 147 171 Commerce Street’ Hinesburg, VT 05461 P. (802) 482-2995 F. (802) 482-2999 E. Sharring@vpminc.corn V in gay rights parades and preach- es tolerance. I ‘ While Creech doesn’t see himself as a gay rights activist, per se, he was swayed in 1984 by a member of his parish who with- drew in protest of a church order that held homosexuality to be dance toilb 5' ‘Dignity 207 Pm Ave. g/1712, 50,15 BURLINGTON, VT *1 unacceptable. From that point on 5* "'5 "WK5 (pride Creech spoken out on behalf of 2' » A h’ l b’ d ' h" , 502_560_148a # IS es ran an gay pans ioners has addressed organizations such as Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG), and has W55 QLP BATS HOURS: TUE5-5AT 10-6. Sun 1-5. CLOSED MONDAY lililnllillert CONTINUED rnom P.14 continued to challenge church doctrine by performing same-sex ceremonies. Ms. Griflin delved into Rev. Creech’s past with care, spoke with those whose lives he has touched and has elicited dynamic quotes from the pastor himself: “My cause is the soul of my church.” In this article she has managed to illustrate how a mainsteam (and heterosexual) pastor has reconciled faith with respect for all. Please commend the Charlotte Observer for this nuanced and inspiring portrayal of the Rev. Jimmy Creech. Contact: Jennie Buckner, Editor, Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230, fax: 704.358.5022, e- mail: opinion@charlotte.com Marketing To Us Anheuser-Busch’s recent Bud Lite ad in EXP, a St. Louis bi- weekly gay publication, rever- berated around the country. Jerry Falwell mobilized his denizens to ring Busch’s toll-free lines off the hook. Interestingly, the ad merely shows a couple (from the back) holding hands. In a current print and billboard campaign Subaru has mounted a wry campaign, with license plates that read, “CAMP OUT,” “PTOWNIE,” “XENA LVR,” complete with a rainbow flag sticker and the Human Rights Campaign’s equality symbol on the bumper. It is important, how- ever, to examine the trajectory in advertising, and to question the motives of the companies that are courting the gay dollar. Are we being exploited as a community, or treated with respect? Two arti- cles from the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Examiner, respectively, look at this recent phenomenon. In the May 18 Los Angeles Times, Cliff Rothman investi- gates the power of the gay and lesbian market, which has seen ad dollars in the gay press dou- bling in the last five years from $53 million to $120 million. Rothman speaks with pioneers, such as IKEA and Dockers, who led with portrayals of lesbians and gay men, pointing out the unsuccessful boycott of Disney, and charting the way to the pre- sent, where more and more ads are “openly gay,” rather than implictly so. Dave Ford of the San Francisco Examiner, in an op-ed entitled, “Intoxicated by Bud Light’s Gay-Themed Ads,” ques- tions blind allegiance to those brands that deign to cater to the gay market. While his statement that “Advertising imagery does > BIKE FOR THE RIGHT TO MARRY Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force BIKE-A-THON Saturday, September .1 1, 1999 Rain or Shine! . 25 or 50 Mile Loops, Starting at Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Help raise money for the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force! For details and a pledge form, call Susan at 877-3165.