4 Out in,_the Mountains April 2000 Debate continued from page two dred outside the doors of the House when the 79 to 68 vote was announced around 10 pm. When spectators inside the room joined in, the breach of decorum led the usually easy-going Speaker of the House, Michael Obuchowski, D—Rockingham, to slam his gavel on the podium hard enough to cause the mallet’s head to fly off and land in the front row of legislators —— narrowly missing Rep. Oreste Valsangiacomo, D-Montpelier. Although supporters of the bill were celebratory after the vote, they cautioned that the following day would bring much more debate and several more attempts to dilute the bill by amendment. As predicted, the battle resumed on March 16 , but it started on a light-hearted note when Valsangiacomo appeared in his seat wearing a hard hat that read “Gavel Guard.” The joking quickly stopped when several represen- tatives proposed versions of a Defense of Marriage Act to be attached to H.847. The House Judiciary . Committee met with the leadership of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force for more than an hour in the early part of the day, discussing the need to con- cede to what they called “half a DOMA” in order to see the bill passed. The findings of the legislation already contained language acknowledging that marriage statutes in Vermont, as they now exist, apply only to couples "made up of a man and woman. However, in order to keep the votes of some House members who threat- ened to withdraw their support of the bill, the Judiciary committee agreed to add similar language to the body of the new statute. At the same time, the most unsavory half of the mini-DOMA, denial of recognition to same-gender marriages performed in other states was defeated. The debate over same-gender unions in Vermont has been praised for its civility, but thanks to two law- makers in particular, it threatened to grow ugly on the floor of the House. , a Rep. Fred Maslack, R-Poultney, proposed an amendment that would require HIV testing for anyone seeking a civil union license. With his proposal, Maslack would prohibit an HIV positive person from entering into a civil union with a person who tested negative. Lippert stood to call the proposal “the most offen- sive amendment I’ve ever heard offered on the floor.” He said he was both personally and professionally offended by the blatant disrespect in the suggestion. The only representative who sided with Maslack on the roll call vote was Nancy Sheltra, R-Derby. Sheltra rose several times during the day to offer anti-gay rhetoric and statistics from the Family Research Council. She was interrupted at one point by another legislator, who asked the Speaker to keep the debate on the correct topic and civil. Diane Carmoli, D-Rutland City, said, “If members don’t approve of the tone and content of another member’s speech, we can leave.” That is precisely what she and about 20 others did the next time Sheltra took the floor. It was after 6 pm when the final roll call vote took place — 76 to 69 in favor of sending the civil union bill to the Senate. This time, the crowd maintained its composure until Obuchowski gaveled the session to a close. Supporters then broke out in cheers, applause, and hugs. “The fight isn’t over, yet,” said Judiciary Committee Chair Tom Little, R-Shelbume, in his Saturday April 22nd - 1pm Doug/as I4////ie & ,4/7a’rew/1//er//'/lg w///i /l’o5a/y/I 0/70')"/7.9/0'0/7 /1//er//'/lg discuss and sign /be I4/eo’a’/'/7g.- A Fa/77/M [om//lg 01//5/ory usual role as the voice of reason amongst the revelers. The bill has moved to the Senate’s judiciary com- mittee for line-by-line scrutiny. Although Senate lead- ership supports the legislation, it’s unlikely it will pass the Senate in exactly the same form it goes in. The full Senate is expected to take the bill up in late April. H.847, as currently written, would go into effect on September 1, 2000.7 Beth Robinson (left), attorney Baker case, was present for both days of floor debate on H.847 in the House. Rep. Dean Corren (right), sponsored an amendment to the bill that would have altered existing marriage statutes to include gay and lesbian couples. His amendment was defeated. J .-I ,4, 5, (‘:1 n in o .. <1.) N o . D as ._ The Weddingis the firsthand account by Douglas Wythe and Andrew Merling, and Andrew's parents Rosalyn and Sheldon Merling. With the impending wedding as a catalyst, and Andrew and Doug's announcement of their desire to have a traditional religious ceremony, The Weddingtakes readers through a painful and joyful odyssey of discovery as the authors recount their struggle to be heard and to find acceptance from each other, their friends and their communities. The four distinct author—voices blend to create a unique depiction, not just of two families becoming one, but of coming to grips with the reality of being a gay couple in today's world. Douglas Wythe, Andrew Merling, Rosyln Merling and Sheldon Merling, were profiled discussing their struggles in a one—hour episode of ABC News Ti/m~zz'7~zg Point, "Same—Sex Marriage.‘ F0i*Betz‘er Or I/Vorse". The public‘s outpouring of sup- port and encouragement via letters and e-mails to ABC News was so empower- ing that they decided to write this book in hope of helping other families. i.>r.>:,:z::..»x~ \‘i/'\."uri' K 5: ii :‘\D5li1{l-I\\’ i\‘il:i.‘t. mam . "Most families come to temis with a child's homosexuality in private. Lucky for us, this brave group has chosen to share it's compelling and suprisingly intimate coming out journey in a very public way. Luckier still. they've crafted an inspiring page-turner that should give us all hope for the future." -—Eric Marcus, author of Is it a Choice?, co-author ol'Breakr'ng the Sulflzce BORDERS BOOKS-MUSIC-CAFE Saturday April 22nd - 1pm 29 Church Street - Burlington - 865-2711