8 |.0ut in the Mountains |August 2000
= letters:

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All of a (long) sudden

To wait a decade for some-
thing — anything really, but
especially something important
— is so unrealistic, so beyond
one’s time frame. Yet we all
waited, some of us even longer
than others. I can look back to
OITM issues from 1991 and
read in some of my earliest
articles my frustration, my
anger, over being denied mar-
riage rights.

And suddenly, or what
appears suddenly, I stood in
front of a Justice of the Peace
with my partner by my side,
and heard those all powerful
words “in the power vested in
me...” My mind froze; I heard
little else.

Afterwards, watching the JP
sign the document that said
Marriage or Civil Union, I
shook from the power of the
moment. We did it, we really
did! Without any hesitation,
without any questions, we
planned the day and time,
arranged for the Justice of the
Peace and the two-night mini-
honeymoon in Montreal, the

champagne and even two new
flutes. _

But the reality is this did not
happened suddenly; people
have been busy. Busy with let-
ters, with collecting donations,
with speaking to Legislators
and Senators, with their
Clergymen and bosses, busy
with hard work. While I
thought it would never hap-
pen, people stood out in cold
nights and sang about justice
and some of the bravest people
outed themselves to thousands
listening all over the state on
their radios or TVs. Who could
live through this past Vermont
winter and not feel the power
of the passing of the civil union
bill? I know that in my home,
in my partner’s workplace, in
almost everywhere we went,
there was discussion and
debate and much celebration
wheniwe all heard the civil
union bill passed!

Perhaps we are lucky
because we live in a town
where our clerk treated us with
all the courtesy extended to
any couple. Perhaps we are
lucky because our neighbor,
the pillar of the church and our
town, responded positively to

' our request to perform our cer-

emony. We are indeed lucky
because our children are ble to
call my partner their step-
mom, for real now.

We all lived though an edu-
cation, an awareness, that is
truly a gift to all the

Vermonters who followed the
debate and watched as this
political moment was realized.

I stand proud with all of
you. I stand grateful for all the
hard work done. I stand ready
to continue.

Moira Donovan

Waterville

Other Agendas

Let’s not even talk about the
gay agenda (which only exists
in the minds of closed-minded
heterosexuals)! Let’s in fact
talk about another agenda —
the Sheltra Agenda.
Representative Nancy Sheltra
started STARS — Standing

Together And Reclaiming the »«

State - says she’s helping the
civil union protesters take back
the state, but by her own
admission, she’s really helping
herself to your money. I quote:
Sheltra, a divorced mother of
two boys, had hoped to be able
to draw a modest salary from
STARS...since her legislative
salary...is going to run out

soon. Makes you think long‘
-and hard, doesn’t it?

Dean Pratt
Burlington

Thanks, Peter

Our very own Green
Mountain Freedom Band rep-
resentation [at Pride] was the
best ever. Kudos to Peter
Thomas, without whom the
band would not exist. Peter has
spent nearly a decade trying to
bring a group of size together
to represent our community
and state. He has spent many
hours making phone calls,
writing notes, researching
appropriate music, and travel-
ing to other states and Canada
to participate in their Pride cel-
ebrations, all in the interest of
bringing a great band together
for us. He often times has spent
money out of his own pocket to
purchase sheet music and per-
cussion instruments.

Up until this year, the same
faithful original members have
made a showing in the parade,
only to be soon forgotten or
barely noticed at all. Peter’s
determination and dedication
certainly paid off this year. Our
Vermont contingency was
superb, and combined with the
assistance that arranged from
our friends from New York,
everyone noticed and will
remember “the band.”

Thank you, Peter.

Carol Trombley

Williston

We reserve the right to edit for
Letters are also subject to the editorial

Maui congrats

Aloha OITMI. Just a quick
note to you GLBT people in
Vermont. good for you, lots of
hard work paid off. We could-
n’t do it in Hawaii (civil
unions) but we tried, with lots
of hard work. just a big
MAHALO from us here in
maui. we are hoping it will
spread.

with aloha,

John and Steve

cu Study

Civil union is here. What
impact will this new legislation
have on our partner relation-
ships and our families? What
impact will it have on commu-
nity perceptions of our rela-
tionships and families? How
are current same-sex couples in
Vermont deciding whether to
form a “civil union” and what
issues is this decision-making
process raising for couples
themselves? What issues does
this legislation raise for bisexu-
al and transgender members of
our community? Will “civil
union” be required in order for
same-sex couples to adopt chil-
dren or serve as foster parents
to children? Should it be
required? How might this leg-
islation affect single-parenting
families? These are just a few
of the questions that civil union
legislation may raise for our
community.

The past 20 years or so has
generated a growing body of
research on LGBT relation-
ships and families. This
research was reviewed and pre-
sented as part of an amicus
brief in the case of Baker v.
State of Vermont, 170 A. 2d
864 (1999), the case that pro-
pelled the development of the
current civil union legislation.
Of course, availableqresearch
findings only provideus with
the information about our iden-
tity, relationship, and family
experiences prior to civil
union.

As researchers and educa-
tors at the University of
Vermont who are also mem-
bers of the LGBT community,
we are interested in developing
a collaborative research agenda
to explore issues of concern to

our community regardinglcivil .

union legislation. We are inter-
ested in moving beyond a com-
parative approach to research
on LGBT relationships and
families, and hope to generate

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