I cry easily. I mean, I cry
just thinking about that old
telephone company commer-
cial. You know the one, “I just
called to say I love you, Mom."

Hence, I expected to shed a
few tears at the first civil union
ceremony I attended. I’ve
stopped trying to fight it; I just
go prepared. My daughter goes
prepared, too. She’s prepared
to don the oh-geez—there-goes-
Mom look and hope that I
don‘t embarrass her completely
by actually sobbing out loud.

So I wasn’t surprised when
tears welled up in my eyes as
Michael and Joseph stood in
the doorway of the building
greeting their guests. Those
were tears of pure joy — what
else, when the grooms were
wearing matching ties that
were covered in tiny yellow
ducks?

..From the editor

The more traditional tears
came later as the two men
looked into each others’ eyes
and renewed vows they made
to each other several years ago.
That part gets me every time.

What I wasn’t ready for was
my reaction, and that of virtu-
ally everyone else in the room,
when the presiding justice of
the peace said, “By the power
vested in me by the State of
Vermont...“ There was a col-

lective gasp, followed by
almost audible smiles, and then '
rivers of tears. I just hadn't

anticipated the impact of those
words on us.

By the State of Vermont...
amazing. That’s what has been
missing from our ceremonies.
The phrase that follows, or its
reasonable facsimile, is what
usually starts the tears in the
heterosexual ceremonies we

 Semantics

IItooooooI00onIInD00000OInoolaloooelaooooooncooonIlouol

attend — “I pronounce you
spouses in civil union.” But the
spontaneous emotional reac-
tion from this crowd, and most
others attending civil unions in
the past month, was in
response to the State of
Vermont part.

There was something amaz-
ingly powerful in hearing those
words, after having watched
and participated in the struggle
to get those powers vested.
Sitting around me amongst the
onlookers were attorneys and
plaintiffs and activists and leg-
islators and supporters who
helped make this happen. After
all that we’ve experienced in
the past few years, particularly
in the past six months, you
might think we’d bejaded, but
the unison intake of breath as
the words came from the jus-
tice of the peace’s mouth was

 

I SCREAM
you SCREAM
we ALL SCREAM...

:-'1-.~«. ‘

Ix .--I~r.,- . 

@ wirrznat-to ‘I/aooo

<-j—-—n._

Global Warning

  su bsc
now.

Subscribe to Out in the Mountains, Verm0nt’s forum
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, and

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Enjoy the convenience of delivery to your door (in
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\.

Vibe

August 2000 I Out inthe Mountains I9
= opinion=

unrehearsed and heartfelt.

It was the best kind of cele-
bration we'could have had to
the new law — actually taking
advantage of it.

It might be assimilationist of
me — a direct result of my het-
erosexual upbringing — but I
can’t wait to partake of it
myself. I know it isn’t for
everyone, and I don’t look
down upon couples who don’t
want to take this step, but I
want to do it. I want to plan it
and have my friends and fami-
ly come in from all over the
country. I want the party. I
want the service, I want the
community recognition that
my partner-in-everything and I
are as valued as a couple as
anyone who stands up there
with a member of the opposite
sex.

But what do those words
really mean?

By the powers vested in me,
I pronounce you legally
responsible for one another,
even though you’ve already
done years of richer, poorer,
sickness, and hea...L. together?

I pronounce you legally

   
 

,4. ,. _.—«-r— :4

_ I Visit the Co-op’s bulk
' department.

of natural, highest-quality
bulk foods.

Buy as little or as much
as you want.

3

I For fresh ideas, visit the
D,‘ ', Onion River Co-op.
,9 "1. A community market
€«:,°/((j)))\°Q featuring natural
‘o  ;:‘_o' foods, local produce,
: ° supplements, and gourmet
specialties.

 
 
     
 

1.

 
   

274 N. Vlfinooski Avenue
Burlington, VT
801-£63-3659
Open 9-9 every day.

  

your name

address

city

state zip

email

phone

Cl 2 years ($35) ‘J I year ($20) Cl low income ($l0)

p————:————:——:————————:$—:——|

‘~.

send gift to

address

city state zip
email phone

.J 2 years ($35) J l year ($20) 3 low income ($|0)

Rules’ urefnr ¢InIne.\'Iit' bulk tl¢'Iii'L'ry. ClIIII(l(‘I u.\'_/hr ollwr mailing rumr.

'~¢-0'
.-.1

Choose from our wide variety

bound to one another, even
though you’ve been committed
to each other for longer than
many heterosexual married
couples I know have even
known one another?

I pronounce you entitled to
share in each others’ posses-
sions and money, even though
you already share everything
and the word ‘mine’ was
replaced with ‘ours’ years ago?

I pronounce you acknowl-
edged by the state of Vermont,
whether you want it or not, as a
family unit, even though
you’ve been inseparable for
years and have built a home
and maybe even raised chil-
dren together?

Just why did those words
matter so much?

I pronounce you equal — or
almost equal — to heterosexual
couples? That doesn’t make it.

I pronounce you protected
better now and here than any-
where else in this country.

That works.

-- BGD V

. ...~-as.
\.

  
 

~55.-i '3'

. lljllvesla idea Ilvowt I-he Onion Rivev Co—ap...

Hm” I’ \DU\\\¢ j 

      

CI Payment enclosed
U Please bill me later
D Additional Contribution

$ ____ (Thank you!)

Make checks payable to
Mountain Pride Media

PO. Box I078
Richmond, VT 05477

p. (802) 434-6486

f. (802) 434-7046
subs@mountainpridemedia.org
www.mountainpridemedia.org

  

Ur IN ’r‘HE"’MoUN'rA1Ns‘
published by
/VI
U

'\lnuntain Pride Metlia

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