2 Out in the Mountains December 1999 More on Creating Change by Don Eggert Gill Initiatives Make change Possible A GLBT philanthropic orga- nization has announced a spe- cial incentive program to help develop and broaden leader- ship for the LGBT movement in the next century. The Gill Foundation announced its 21st Century Initiatives project during Creating Change in Oakland last month. The initiatives focus on peo- ple of color, statewide organiz- ing, and non-urban LGBT community centers. They offer funding $4.5 million above and beyond the organization’s current grants, and are part of an overall 40 percent increase in its grant-making budget for the year 2000. “The Gill Foundation 21st Century Initiatives represent an effort to identify and focus resources on specific commu- nities within the LGBT move- ment. In order to ensure these initiatives are a success, we will be working with leaders within those communities to plan and develop strong pro- grams,” said Katherine Pease, the foundation’s executive director. Gill is already planning to bring together a diverse group of leaders from organizations around the country to plan and implement the People of Color Initiative. Similar meetings will be convened to help plan and develop statewide organi- zation and community center initiatives in 2000. The organization pledged $1 million over five years for pro- jects to increase racial justice through funding and technical ——————:———————:—:——————$————} assistance for organizations specific to people of color as well as for multi-cultural lead- ership development in all LGBT organizations. Additionally, it earmarked $15 million over five years to develop and strengthen statewide LGBT nonprofit organizations and $2 million over five years to strengthen existing LGBT community centers and build new centers in non-urban America. The Gill Foundation current- ly operates both grantmaking and training programs. The former focuses on providing funds to LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations. The latter, called the OutGiVing Project, offers technical assistance to organizations in the LGBT movement. “The Gill Foundation 21st Century Initiatives will com- bine our two strengths, provid- ing both grants and technical assistance. Through this pow- erful partnership, we hope to be able to create lasting change for people of color, statewide non-profits and LGBT com- munity centers,” Pease said. Software entrepreneur Tim Gill established the Gill Foundation in 1994 as a cata-_ lyst, a resource for communi- ties in pursuit of justice and equality, and a way to build awareness of the contributions gay men and lesbians make to American society. Since its inception, the Colorado-based foundation has provided near- ly $13 million to hundreds of community organizations.V INSIDE aitm on-Ed .... world News Briels letters .... Health & Welllleing.....'..........14 health source............... ..... ..17 the source .. ...... ....... ..1B calendar .... ....... ......19 community comnass.............2lI Arts & Entertainment...........21 Eaylty .... ......... .....25 20 something ..... l:row's flaws .... llylle Psyche.......... ............ ..15 Faith Matters ...... legal Briels........ ....... ....... ..9 Stonehenge to stonewall .... ..12 View From the llingdom... ..... ..8 departments columns California Faces Marriage Issues of Its own: no on Knight I Opponents of a California ballot item that would make same-gender marriages invalid in the state recently received a boost from activists across the country — and it may get anoth- er boost from Vermont in the future. After two failed attempts to pass a Defense of Marriage Amendment through the state legislature, California will become the first state in the US to put such an issue up for statewide referendum. During a presidential primary on March 7, California voters will decide on Proposition 22, also known as the Knight Amendment, which reads, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recog- nized in California” Creating Change Participants got involved with the No on Knight campaign by pledging and raising upward of $25,000 for the cause. On Saturday evening, 54 con- ference attendees “flexed their political muscles” by canvass- ing Oakland neighborhoods to educate residents about the potential damaging effects of the Knight initiative. “The most critical thing we can do to win these kinds of campaigns is to talk face-to- face with fair-minded voters across this state,” said Dave Fleischer, the NGLTF Policy Institute Senior Fellow who led the canvass. “When they encounter us at their doors, the fuzzy version of gay/1esbian/bisexual/transgen- der becomes more clear — it becomes a human being.” Sixty percent of the 518 peo- ple canvassed said they would vote against the Knight initia- tive, while 169 voters were still undecided. Proposition supporters have endorsements from Catholic and Mormon leaders and finan- cial backing of almost $1 mil- lion from the Family Research Council and the Christian gay son, who recently came out against his father’s initiative in an op-ed piece in The Los Angeles Times. No on Knight campaign man- ager Mike Marshall believes Knight is attempting to legislate a statewide resolution to the conflicts within his own family. “The Knight Initiative is not, as Pete Knight and its backers claim, about defending mar- riage. It’s about attacking fami- lies. We need only look at the ”A positive marriage decision in Vermont could be used to put a face on what same-gender marriage looks like for California voters.” — Tracy Conaty, No on Knight Campaign Coalition. No on Knight organizers expect to face a huge media campaign attacking not only the idea of same-gender marriage, but the GLBT community in general. “Our tactic has been to emphasize that this amendment and the campaign that supports it is unfair, divisive, and intru- sive — it is definitely an ant- gay referendum, “ remarked San Francisco City Supervisor’ Mark Leno, a leader in the No on Knight movement. No on Knight has also advo- cated ‘considering the source’ of the proposition, amendment sponsor Pete Knight. He has rejected both his gay brother, who died from AIDS, and his Golden Threads Discreet Contact Publication for Lesbian Women over 50. httpzl / members.aol.com/ goldentred / index.htm Sample Copy $5 email: GOLDEN'IRED@aol.com P. O Box 65, Richford. VT 05476-0065 and younger subscribe Subscribe to Out in the Mountains and not only will you get discreet monthly delivery to your mailbox but you also help underwrite the costs of publishing and distributing the newspaper The Samara Foundation of Vermont will match each new subscription dollar for dollar up to a $4000 limit Please help us meet their generous challenge name address town state: zip ___ email phone Rates are for domestic bulk delivery Contact us for other mailing rates Ell year $20 Cl 2 years $35 D low income $I0 thanks!) Make checks payable to Mountain Pride Media Cl Contribution T IN THE MOUNTAIN PO Box I078 - Richmond, VT 05477-I078 if ,, :-.‘:.«>, impact of Pete Knight’s beliefs on his own family to see what his initiative is truly about and what it would do to families across the state, “ said Marshall. A final tactic might be avail- able to the campaign from right here in Vermont. “A positive marriage decision in Vermont could be used to put a face on what same-gender marriage looks like for California voters, said Tracey Conaty, press secretary for No On Knight. She added, “We would hope that if any Vermont couple trav- elled to California, their mar- riage certificate would not evaporate at the airport, and that they would have access to the same services married peo- ple in California have.” , Leno noted that the Baker v. State case was an important consideration in No On Knight strategizing. “We originally wanted to include ‘unneces- sary’ in our litany of ‘unfair, divisive, and intrusive’, because currently there isn’t a state which does recognize same gender marriages,” he said. “We reconsidered this, so that a Vermont decision would not change the focus of our campaign.”V Assault Continued from pl Oakland and around the coun- try rallied the crowd with chants such as “We’re human beings, we’re not paperwork!” Riki Anne Wilchins, execu- tive director of GenderPAC, the national lobbying organi- zation working to protect gen- der rights, spoke out against the inhumane treatment of the assault victim and the underre- porting of hate crimes nation- wide. After several speeches, the Oakland police chief told the crowd he would comply with demands for investigation, reprimand, and sensitivity training. He remarked, “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of their gender or race.” The case is now being inves- tigated by Oakland authorities. V