28 I Out in the Mountains |July 2000 Brattleboro Area AIDS Project It was a beautiful bluegreen Vermont summer day for the Brattleboro Area AIDS Project’s 13th Annual Walk for Life. Wearing red ribbons, car- rying red balloons, and holding love in our hearts, we walked to the Brattleboro Town Common to plant a tree. This year’s theme, “Because of You — Our Family, Our Friends, Our Community — We’re In It For the Long Haul,” underscored many aspects of the Project’s philosophy — car- ing, understanding, cherishing. About 100 people gathered for the symbolic, silent walk. Samuel Lurie from the Department of Health AIDS Program spoke about the dedi- cation of the Project’s board and the broad support from the community. As the epidemic shifts from the gay men’s com- munity to injection drug users and their partners, we need to understand the causes of social injustice and our own preju- dices and ignorance. He said we face the difficult and essen- tial process of “teaching people to love themselves — the best HIV prevention we can do.” Susan Flynn, past board chair, and board member Craig Ebbighausen gave moving trib- utes to the late Michael Benjamin. Michael was an out- standing example of courage, facing death and living in the present. His commitment to the Project, speakers bureau, and Men’s Program, was a tremen- dous gift. Following singing, led by Becky Graber, the names of people who have died of AIDS were read. A beautiful maple tree was planted in remembrance of family and friends lost and in recognition of those living with HIV/ AIDS. This is a time to celebrate: people are living longer;-edu- cation and prevention are working; the community cares. In this spirit, the Walk was filled with courage and com- passion and strength. Thanks to all who pledged, walked and sponsored, espe- cially Gold ‘Corporate Sponsors Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Brattleboro Savings & Loan, Fraternal Order of the Eagles No. 2455, Holstein Association, Peter Havens Restaurant, and Vermont Yankee. Faerie Camp Destiny This summer, Faerie camp Destiny brings literal fairies to life as it celebrates Lammas with 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The gathering will be August 3-6 at Faerie Camp Destiny in Grafton. Using Shakespeare’s whimsical com- edy as .a springboard for ritual theater, we’ll look at how we direct that stuff called love in our lives, how we have worked with it in the past, and what new ways we’d like to channel it in the future. ~ Self- exploration in a con- text of community is some- thing faeries do well, and this time the community compo- nent is channeling water. To create a well and septic system for the future, Destiny is preparing to dig a water diver- Participants In the BAAP Walk for life walked slowly and silently down vital to OITM and an easy way to show your support. If you didn’t get around to subscrib- ing at Pride, it is never too late; you can quickly and easily sub- scribe on our Web site. We also thank the hosts of our last two Green Mountain Tour stops. On May 6, we were in Morrisville at Concept II with host Linda Markin, and on June 11, at Tree Frog Farm in Guilford with host John Scagliotti and David Hall. We thank them for their hospitality, and to all who came out to visit towward the Brattleboro Common on June 10. sion trench. Blessings and explanations about that, along with butchness invocations, will become part of the flow of the weekend. Gatherings at Destiny are camping affairs, and our facili- ties at present are limited to porto-potties and soap-free dips in the stream. Indoor space includes a lovely yurt with a wood stove and a nice kitchen. Meals are vegetarian feasts, and often fabulous events in themselves. For this gathering, may we suggest Elizabethan drag? While most gatherers are men (technical- ly), women and others who enjoy faerie company are wel- come and encouraged. For more information and directions: Pippin, (802) 434- 4527. (More contact informa- tion available in the Source, page 26.) Mountain Pride Media Mountain Pride Media thanks everyone who stopped by at Pride 2000. Congratulations to the 23 win- ners in our Pride 2000 and sub- scription drawings. We grate- fully acknowledge the support of TLA Video, 10% Productions, and Way Out Wax Candles for their generous donations to the drawing, and for their ongoing support of our Web site, www.mountainpride- media.org. Congrats to the lucky sub- scriber who picked up a $50 gift certificate to Leunig’s Restaurant. Subscriptions are with us. On Saturday, July 30, look for our Green Mountain Tour in Montpelier for a writer’s workshop and recep- tion with the board and staff of Mountain Pride Media. Look for us in Franklin County on Sunday, August 6, when we pull into Richford. Finally, board and staff would like to congratulate our board president, Bennett Law, on his Volunteer of the Year Award presented at the R.U.1.2? Community Supper in April. Bennett has been a huge asset to MPM and to the GLBTQ community. Thanks, Bennett, for all you do. Out in the Valley Vermont’s newest GLBT social group, Out in the Valley, is nearing its first anniversary. Organized last fall by a few folks intent on creating com- munity in the Upper Valley (Hanover/White River Junction) region of NH and VT, this diverse and energetic group has been meeting monthly in members’ homes for potlucks and recently has begun monthly ‘bar nights’ — on the second Saturday of the month — at the Crossroads Bar in South Royalton. Publicizing events mainly through their email list main- tained by dan@outintheval- ley.org and their Internet pres- ence at www.outinthevalley.org, the group also maintains an ad in the Valley News and a voice mail system at (802) 295-0095 to keep people Newcomers are encouraged to P oto. Michael Gigante informed. , Community Compass is a service of OITM. GLBT organizations from around the state are invited to provide 200-word descriptions of recent or upcoming activities and events. Send your submissions to us by email to editor@moun- tainpridemedia.org by the 15th of the month. bring their energy and fresh ideas to the group so that Out in the Valley can host an even broader range of activities in the coming months. Out in the Valley is a friend- ly, inclusive organization for the entire sexual minority com- munity, inviting everyone to participate in their events. The food has been terrific and the conversations everything from hilarious to heart warming. Please join us! R.U.1.2? The RU12 Community Center accepted The VT Diversity Health Project as its newest committee at its May board meeting. The mission of the Vt. Diversity Health Project is to provide health information, resources, and services to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered communities of Vermont. The Vermont Diversity Health Project completed an extensive men’s health survey at Pride in Burlington. The sur- vey included questions about sexual behaviors, as well as questions about the health care needs of men in our communi- ty. The results of the survey will be made available soon. VDHP hopes to implement a women’s survey at Pride 2001. The Project is planning to produce a community resource guide with the intent to identi- fy health professionals within Chittenden County area who wish to serve our community. The VDHP’s long-term goal is to expand the resource guide to include more than just health providers and to eventually cover the entire state. VDHP is spending the summer of 2000 developing an extensive survey that will be mailed to all health care providers in Chittenden County this fall. The VDHP also hopes to provide support for an online version and a referral switch- board. The resource guide will be available to the community throughout Chittenden County by June, 2001, and an online version of the resource guide should be ready as early as January, 2001. The VDHP is looking for additional women and trans- gendered people to help with the resource guide develop- ment. To get involved, contact Leroy at lerpad@together.net, or Tom at TomAloisi@aol.com. Vermont CARES On June 10, 2000, Vermont CARES held its second annual Champ Ride at Kingsland Bay State Park in Ferrisburg. Riders tackled distances ranging from 12 to 100 miles. Except for a few mosquitoes in the morning and a bit of wind in the after- noon, the weather was absolutely perfect. The sun even broke through the clouds, and we had brilliant sunshine as riders began to come back to the park. At the end of the ride, we held our annual volunteer pic- nic. Volunteers, staff, and rid- ers hung out on the lawn and ate a fabulous barbecue, served up by some amazing NECI chefs. About 100 people took part in the ride, and we’ve raised about $16,000, with donations still coming in. Thanks to Kingsland Bay State Park, all our sponsors, the Champ Ride committee, and especially to all our riders. We couldn’t have done it without you! Vennonters for Civil Unions The Vermont Freedom To Marry community is pleased to announce the formation of Vermonters for Civil Unions, Inc. (VCU), a political action committee with just one goal: to elect politicians in November who will protect the new civil union law. Our opponents have vowed to elect politicians who will repeal the civil union law next year. Rep. Nancy Sheltra of Derby, a vehement opponent of gay civil rights, has proclaimed that “it’s time to turn Vermont around, claim Vermont for godly purposes... We are going to take this state back... we will do it in November.” Her words are a chilling reminder that we need to work hard to protect this groundbreaking law. During the 2000 election campaign season, VCU will provide financial backing, media support, and volunteer help for politicians who voted for the civil union law — regardless of their political party. VCU will also support candidates who are running against politicians who opposed the civil union bill in the legislature. And VCU will back pro-civil union candidates who are running for open seats in the legislature. VCU needs volunteers in every part of the state. If you’d like to help, please call Jakki at (802) 899-2930, or send an email to info@vtcivilunion- pac.org. VCU also needs money to run this campaign. lfyou’d like to donate, please mail your contribution to VCU, P.O. Box 1574, Montpelier, VT 05601. If you have questions about how your money will be used, please call Susan or Beth at (802) 388-6356. V