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Time to Pay the
(Pride) Piper

Editor:

For the second year in a row,
the committee that organized the
Vermont GLBT Pride Day failed
to collect enough money from
our community to pay for the
expenses of the day. And while
some of the expenses could be
debated as to whether they
should have been incurred in the
first place, the fact remains that
the vast majority of those who
attended and/or benefitted from
the day didn’t do a darn thing to
support it.

Many of you may think you
donated to Pride by purchasing
various items or attending
“pride” events, but that’s not the
case. While the “Pride Guide,”
produced by the Rainbow
Business Association, was a use-
ful vehicle for promoting the day,
no money generated by advertis-
ing sales was given to the Pride
Committee. The “GLBT Pride
Concert” by the Samadhi Singers
was a benefit for Outright
Vermont. No money was given to
the Pride Committee. Likewise
with the “Kick-Off Pride Week”
show with Noel and Yolanda.
And likewise with the “Interfaith
Pride Worship Service” and
“Pride Ball at City Hall.”

However, Vermont Gay Social
Alternatives donated 20 percent
of their profits from the “Pride
Weekend Cruise” and 135 Pearl
donated 25 percent of their sales
at the Waterfront on Pride Day. I
hope I am omitting other exam-
ples.

Should the Pride Committee
not allow anyone to use the word
“Pride” without getting a cut?
That would be impossible.
Should groups and businesses
generating money on Pride Day
(especially at Pride Committee
related events) through coin
drops, raffles, selling items, etc.

be expected to donate a certain
percentage to the Committee?
Should groups be charged a fee
for marching in the parade, carry-
ing banners or using vehicles as
is done in other cities and states?
Should we count on corporate
sponsors to pay for our event?
And if so, would we feel com-
fortable with major promotion of
brewing companies, or business-
es that despite giving money to a
GLBT organization may not give
support in their corporate opera-
tions?

Perhaps the move to
Waterfront Park was too big of a
jump for a small group of volun-
teers with little ability to raise the
money necessary for such a
venue. Maybe it’s time to go back
to Battery Park with no big tent,
no extra bathrooms, no expense
for a stage, no dance, etc.

Or maybe those who enjoyed
the day and benefitted spiritually
or financially at this year’s Pride
Day will realize that it wouldn’t
have been possible without the
efforts of the Pride Vermont
Committee and will either send a
check (a lot of $5 or $10 checks
would add up) or volunteer for
next year.

Sincerely,

Bob Bolyard

former Pride Vermont
Committee member

 
Paging the Pride
Committee

Editor: I

I am rather upset with VT
Pride, Pride VT, or VT GLBT
Pride (whatever name they are
going by). First of all, the board
made it very clear that the name
of the group was to be Pride VT,
since VT Pride was already taken
by another group. Yet, no matter
what talk show or announcement
they do, the name is always dif-

ferent. Even if the host of a talk
show says VT GLBT Pride, no
one seems to correct them that
that is not the name of the group.

Also, on the May program of
Rainbow Connection, a member
of the pride committee was on
talking about the event and put
up an email address that read:
vtpride@hotmail.com. When I
tried to email them at this
address, my email came back
stating there was no such address.
Just a month prior to this, the
pride webmaster was asked by a
board member to change the
address to reflect the “new”
email address of
pridevt@aol.com,

My question is: How is ANY-
ONE supposed to contact pride if
none of the email addresses work
or there are so many of them?

It has also come to my atten-
tion that pride spent approxi-
mately $2000 on Michelle
Weeks. I quote the host of
Rainbow Connection: “Michelle
Weeks is...?” It’s amazing that
pride would pay $2000 for four
songs (two at the waterfront and
two at 135). For the same amount
of money they could have gotten
the nationally known a capella
group Men Out Loud for a two-
hour concert OR an hour with
comedian Lorne Newman and
two hours with Yolanda and the
Plastic Family, plus one other
performer. It seems to me that the
pride committee keeps crying
poor yet spends their DONATED
money foolishly.

Although I know first hand
how hard it is to produce an event
of this size, I think the pride
committee should strongly re-
evaluate their mission statement
and use the money they make
wisely, especially since they are
planning on becoming incorpo-
rated with the State of Vermont
and registering for their tax-
exempt status with the IRS.

Dean Pratt
Burlington

=c:uoo Ali

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