What’s comfort Got to do With It?

some thinking to do — and
then some apologies to
make.

For years, he has refused to
state his opinion on the subject
of same-sex marriage, saying
that it was the business of the
court system and not his to
influence. Word on the street
was that Dean was sympathet-
ic to the cause, but advisors
from his administration and
the leadership of Vermont’s
GLBT community had encour-
aged him to remain silent and
let the Court do itsjob.

It is also common knowl-
edge that Dean likes to shoot
from the hip. Put a microphone
or a camera in front of him,
and the best—laid plans of his
coaches, handlers, and advi-
sors can disappear in a puff of
sound—byte smoke. Following
the Vermont Supreme Court’s
decision on Baker vs. Vermont,
Dean finally went public with
his feelings, and in the process,
he fell victim to the proverbial
foot-in—mouth disease.

Many of the mostyocal sup-
porters of same-sex marriage
have said that they think a
domestic partnership bill will
be the path of least resistance;
Dean’s prediction along those
lines was no shock. . .

A He didn’t stop there,
though. .

Where was his mind when
he said same—sex marriage
“makes me uncomfortable, the
same as anybody else?” We
can only hope that it was mere-
ly a poor choice of words
under the pressure of the spot-
light. Who amongst us hasn’t
stepped in a big pile of smelly
stuff on an occasion when we
know there are many eyes and
ears paying close attention?

Wasn’t this the same man
who stood in the well of the
Vermont House of
Representatives last January
waxing eloquent about the
state’s need for diversity in his
inaugural address? Didn’t he

Governor Howard Dean has

important that we begin now to
set a tone which condemns
racism and makes sure that all
citizens are equal and accorded
the respect they deserve.” He
sure didn’t say anything about
comfort then. His message was
never, “Do the right thing,
when you are comfortable with
it."

Now, given the freedom to
speak his mind, Dean has told
the world — and the world is
quoting him everywhere — that
neither he nor anyone else is
comfortable with the idea of
same-sex marriage.

We beg to differ.

Certainly Supreme Court
Justice Denise -Johnson was
comfortable with the idea
when she wrote, “We should
simply enjoin the State from
denying marriage licenses to
plaintiffs based on sex or sexu-
al orientation.” Speaker of the
Vermont House Michael
Obuchowski has publicly stat-
ed his comfort with the issue,
as has Lieutenant Governor
Doug Racine.

As for the general public,
results ofa poll commissioned
last fall right here in Vermont
by the Rutland Herald and
thefimes Argus indicated that
there are actually nearly as
many people who are comfort-
able with the‘ idea of same-
gender marriage as there are
who are not.

The “same as anybody else”
comment was so obviously a
misstep, it really isn’t worth
belaboring the point further. It
could happen to any of us in a
pressure situation. The test of
leadership here will be
Governor Dean’s willingness
to admit he screwed up and
issue a public apology.

The comfort thing is anoth-
er story.

Since when has any civil
rights issue been comfortable?
Certainly the slave owners of
the antebellum south were
comfortable treating other
human beings as chattel and

different comfort levels when
it came to allowing women to
vote. Many people were com-
fortable with the idea of sepa-
rate but equal when the US
Supreme Court handed down
its decision in Plessy v
Ferguson.

But our society has changed
and now wouldn’t dream of
legislating separate accommo-
dations for different groups of
people. . .or would they?

Cornered on the separate
but equal issue, Governor
Dean said domestic partner-
ship legislation would be “dif—
ferent but equal.” What’s the
difference? Marriage by any
other name isn’t marriage,
which means it doesn’t confer
the same status and benefits,
which means it will not satisfy
the ruling of the Court. It cer-
tainly won’t smell as sweet.

Among the rights and privi-
leges afforded by legal mar-
riage is cultural understanding
of the relationship. When you
introduce someone as your
wife, it is understood. “This is
my domestic partner” just
doesn’t do it.

We aren’t comfortable with
it. V

sea,/z.a3at
ya. ya.

      

January 2000 | Out in the Mountains |7

  
  
   

His dances rush headlong
into movement with
exciting physicality,
both casual and athletic.
(New York Times)

Doug Varone and Dancers
Saturday, February 5 at 8 pm

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painting pictures with broad strokes of human energy. His

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the hypnotic score of John (Nixon in China) Adams. And for a complete
change of pace, Varone and company are side-splittingly funny in Bel
Canto, a delightful send-up of Bellinisopera Norma.

Sponsored by  Q U lg I‘. N ii [1-Y |-j( I N-|-I R \
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'53 Main St., Burlington, VT 863.5966 www.blynntheatre.org

All the essentials,
close to downtown

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3 minutes by bike,
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Everyone is
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say, “It is extraordinarily animals. Women and men had

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