8 Out in the Mountains March 2000 Wrong Attitude for ASOs? I don’t know when I’ve been so offended as I was on reading your article about “HIV/AIDS Funding Rules.” AIDS services are specialized services, yet here is the director of the AIDS Community Resource Network in White River Junction, Tom Mock, urging that strictly lim- ited funding should be opened up to “any group” who can “write up a proposal.” Susan Bell, director of the Brattleboro Area AIDS Project, concurs: “If we can’t stand that compe- tition, we’re in the wrong busi- ness.” I’ve got news for Ms. Bell: . She isn’t in “a business.” She works in the field of human , services, or is supposed to, and her agency, like Mr. Mock’s, receives significant funding from the state and federal gov- ernments. The Vermont HIV/AIDS Care Consortium, of which Ms. Bell has been a member for many years, is specifically instructed by the Ryan White Care Act under Title II, Section 2613 (c) to “assure that service needs are addressed through the coordi- nation and expansion of exist- ing programs before new pro- grams are created.” I would advise her to look at her by- laws. Peter Kurth Colchester, VT I I. To Claim Paternity of Yolanda’s Love Child Editor: We’ve all heard The Great Fear: that provision of same- sex civil marriage rights by the State of Vermont will spawn a mass resettling of “all those gay people” in Vermont. We should all be so lucky. We haven’t been doing cen- sus work at the state border, but to date we affirmatively know of exactly ONE PERSON who was motivated by our on-going statewide debate to uproot himself and move to Vermont. One. , Without further ado, we offer up Tom’s Top Ten Reasons Randall Terry Has Moved to Vermont: 10. Needed (really needed) IIITM, I'll Iiux I078, Richmond, VT 05477-1078 ur Editor@mnunIainurIIIameIIia.ni-u Out in the Mountains welcomes your letters. withhold names from printing upon request, Although we will the letter must be accompanied by a verifiable name and address in order to be considered for publication. space and clarity. policy stated in the masthead. to make a lifestyle change. 9. Wanted to live in a state that doesn’t discriminate based on sexual orientation. 8. Likes the fact that in Vermont gays and lesbians can adopt all the unwanted children he has “rescued.” 7. Likes that Act 60 provides equal educational opportunities to his children and ours. 6. Craves the respect and “live and let live” attitude of Vermonters to their neighbors. 5. Likes the ready access to Montreal, -allowing‘ him to “decompress” on St. Catherine Street. 4. His affections spurned by Ralph Reed, hopes to get clos- er to Howard Dean. 3. Is committed to volun- teering for the Flanagan for Senate 2000 campaign. 2. Wants to be the first in the nation to marry a same-sex partner. And the number one reason Randall Terry has moved to Vermont: 1. Loves F arrnboys! Tom Bivins Grafton, Vermont Bennett Law Bethel, Vermont Corporation Chided Editor: Picked up the January issue of your paper on a recent ski trip and found it quite wonder- ful. I wanted you to know I have xeroxed the Exxon Domestic Partners article and forwarded it to Exxon stockholders rela- tions department (I am a stock- holder) with a strong letter chastising them for their reduc- tion in benefits for domestic partners. Jennifer Frank E. Granby, CT Legislator’s Logic Lapsed Editor: This is a copy of a letter that I recently sent to the Other Paper in S. Burlington. In your last issue, I read Representative Frank Mazur’s bimonthly column and was taken back by his lack of intel- ligence when it comes to the same-sex marriage act. I quote: “My view is that marriage between one man and one woman is a legally recog- nized union that has the poten- tial for both procreation and protection of offspring. No other partnership union has that capability. This to me is the meaning of the word mar- riage and it carries with it cen- turies of understanding in the world.” Representative Mazur: If this is your belief of what mar- riage is, then it stands to reason — logically — that people who are sterile or those who do not want to have children should not be allowed to marry either. By your definition of marriage, a couple (man and woman) has to have the potential to procre- ate. Neither of my examples can or want to. Would you deny these people the right to marry? Don’t you think there are enough children in the world looking for good homes with- out bringing more into it? What’s wrong with a gay cou- ple wanting to adopt a child and bring it up in a loving home and still be given the legal rights that everyone else has as a married couple? You say that “...if we can carefully write such legislation that will meet the intent of the law and won’t create a legal nightmare for the state, I will support it.” Don’t you think that trying to write brand new laws to meet the requirements‘ of marriage without calling it marriage isn’t going to be a legal nightmare in itself? Domestic partnerships are not equal to marriage unless they are called marriage. Granted, you have your opinion which you are entitled to as do I. But I think that you need to find a different reason- We reserve the right to edit for Letters are also subject to the editorial ing to not support gay marriage than what you currently have. Discrimination should be deleted from the English lan- guage once and for all, but until people like you in society look at each other as people versus religion, skin color, or sexual orientation, it will for- ever live in and destroy our communities. Is that what you really want, Representative Mazur? Dean Pratt S. Burlington, VT Reviews refreshing Editor: Woo-hoo! Finally, a small GLBT press with intelligent book reviewers. I’d had your site bookmarked for a long while, but this morning before work, I was checking out other gay mags online and decided to look a little closer at VTPride. I live in the rural southwest, albeit a city of 100,000. I grew up on a farm, near a town of only 10k and returned there in my 40s to be with my ill par- , ents (between jobs and lovers). It brought back so much from my early life, as well as gave me a sense of renewal. I also discovered (really for the very first time) the wisdom of peo- ple living in small town America. It is refreshing to see such as your online magazine, there- fore, doing things better than the Advocate. I see that you have given reviews to small press books. Darin Hazel is a writer with real heart (Witness, Moving On, Two Paths to Now), and I’m glad to see his work reviewed. Ron Donaghe Elizabeth C. Campbell, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountants 15 East Washington Street, Rutland 05701 802-773-4030 / liz@rallyCPA.com Tax specialists serving individuals and small businesses OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS Established in I 986 EDITOR IN CHIEF Barbara Dozetos ART DIRECTOR Donald Eggert EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Tina Giangrande OFFICE MANAGER Carolyn Ashby CLASSIFIED/CALEN DAR Sandy Reeks SOURCE EDITOR Pam Kinniburgh ADVERTISING SALES Vincent Downing, Barbara Dozetos, Sarah Harrington, Roland Palmer COLUMNISTS: Crow Cohen, Charles Emond, Brendan Hadash, Thomas Henning, Rev. Christine Leslie, Susan Murray, Beth Robinson, Larry Rudiger, Miki Thomas CONTRIBUTORS: John Calvi, Andrew Campbell, Larry Flick, Kendra Henson, Laura Miller, Roland Palmer, Heather Peake, Kerry Slora, Max Siroud, Joseph Watson PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jordan Silverman, Maxwell Stroud, Laura Miller . CARTOONISTS: Alison Bechdel, Robert Kirby, Eric Orner MOUNTAIN PRIDE MEDIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judy Beaulac, Cheryl Carmi, Sarah Harrington, Thomas Henning, Bennett Law, Jim Pelrie, Kevin McAteer, Roland Palmer, Carrie Rampp, Joseph Ryan, Richard Slappey Out in the Mountains was founded in 1986 with start up money from the Haymarket People's Fund. Mountain Pride Media's current funding sources include the Chicago,Resource Center, Green Mountain Fund for Popular Struggle, Gill Foundation, Haymarket People's Fund, Physicians Computer Company, Samara Foundation of Vermont, and individual pri- vate donations. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of Out in the Mountains is to serve as a voice for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered people, and our supporters in Vermont. We wish the newspaper to be a source of information, insight, and affirmation. We also see OITM as a vehicle for the celebration of the culture and diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered com- munities here in Vermont and elsewhere. EDITORIAL POLICY We will consider for publication any mate- rial which broadens our understanding of our lifestyles and of each other. Views and opinions appearing in the paper do not necessarily represent those of Out in the Mountains. This paper cannot and will not endorse any candidates or actions of public officials on issues of importance to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and trans- gendered persons. We reserve the right not to publish any material deemed to be overtly racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, ageist, classisl, xenophobic, or homophobic. Writers’ guidelines are available on request. All materials submitted must include a name and a contact number. However, within the pages of the news- paper, articles may appear anonymously upon request, and strict confidentially will be observed. OUI in the Mountains IISSN 1081-5562) is published on the last Tuesday of each month by Mountain Pride Media, Inc. If is printed by BD Press. The newspaper maintains offices at 5 Bridge Street in Richmond, Vermont. The subscription rate is $20 per year with- in lhe United States of America. 02000, out in the Mountains Out in the Mountains PO Box I078 Richmond VT 05477-I078 TEL (802) 434-OITM FAX l802I 434-7046 editor@mountainpridemedia.org