When was the last time you
outed yourself to someone?
Weeks, months, years ago?
Your answer probably depends
in part upon how long and how
openly you have been out. In
other words, are there lots of
folks, or only a few Magoos
who don”t already know you’re
gay? Are you anxious, indiffer-
ent, or excited about sharing
the good news with others?

Having been out only four

years, I still enjoy disabusing‘

the unsuspecting of their
assumptions based upon my
many years of marriage and my
two grown children. Of course,
in a state as small as Vermont,
and a town as tiny as
Montpelier, it is harder and
harder to find any unsuspecting
to disabuse.

So, imagine my excitement
in early June as I headed off to
San Francisco to attend the
annual conference of a national
organization, the 200-250
members of which in atten-
dance I was to address as the
incoming president. Should I,
could I, would I disabuse these
unsuspecting souls en masse?
Those questions occupied a
fair amount of my time as I
worked on my speech.

Why, you may be asking
yourself, would I even consid-
er inflicting this comfortable
crowd of administrative law
judges — not to mention my
somewhat uncomfortable self —
with this personal revelation?

Well, I knew I wanted to
elaborate on my predecessor’s

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you

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FVOICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS

by Brooke Pearson

remarks at last years’ confer-
ence, in which she spoke ofthe
diversity of the organization
being one of its strengths; I
knew several speakers would
be addressing issues of bias
and prejudice; and I knew I felt
proud to be from Vermont, and
would feel liberated to be in
San Francisco.

And, ultimately, I knew I
wanted to expressly extend to
my colleagues the opportunity
and the challenge afforded
them by the diversity of their
assembled selves to learn, to
appreciate, to understand, to
grow; to identify and address
their assumptions and biases,
and to discuss and reﬂect upon
their differences and similari-
ties; to move through and
beyond tolerance, acceptance,
and passive endorsement and
to move to affirmation, inclu-
sion, and active celebration —
to embrace all people and to
validate all life experiences in
order to become the very best
at providing equal justice to all.
So, the affirmative answer to
the “should” question I reached
quickly.

The afﬁrmative answers to
the “could” and “would” ques-
tions, on the other hand, took a
bit more time. Horses of differ-
ent colors, as you, or Dorothy,
might say. But reach them I
finally did, with the help and
encouragement of one of our
speakers, who spoke eloquent-
ly about diversity, and a fellow
Board member, one of only a
handful of attendees who

Whatever you take along for pleasure, consider this:
We may feel safe in Vermont, but we're not immune

 

already knew about me.

While I had heard many
positive comments about our
new civil union law and the
sights (what sights!) of San
Francisco, I had also heard
some negative ones. And,

August 2000 | Out in the Mountains I11
= opinion:

the entire audience rose as one
in a standing ovation that last-
ed a full couple of minutes!
That I wasn’t prepared for! Nor
was I prepared for the line of
people waiting to congratulate
and thank me; nor was I pre-
pared for the requests for
copies of my remarks; nor was
I prepared for a wonderful col-
league’s coming out to me later
that day. I am still amazed and,
most of all, overjoyed!

So, what’s the point of all

Nor was I prepared for the requests for
copies of my remarks; nor was I prepared
for a wonderful colleagues’ coming out to

me later that day.

while public speaking comes
naturally to me, l’ve had but a
few years’ experience outing
myself, experience that hadn’t
previously included appear-
ances in convention or conven-
tional ballrooms!

So, yes, I was on the verge
of apoplexy as I looked down
from the podium on the raised
platform and began my speech.
But I also knew I was doing the
right thing, and, as I related the
various ways in which the
organization reflects extraordi-
nary diversity, I became calmer
and calmer until, with pride
and peace and conﬁdence, I
stated as my ﬁnal example,
“and, as of today, your presi-
dent is Brooke Pearson, a gay
man...”

The rest of the speech was a
cinch to deliver — and, it was
good, if I do say so myself.

What followed was stunning
and beautiful beyond words.
As I concluded my remarks,

to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Don’t tat? a hance... .
a

e a condom

this? Simply this — take the
opportunity and accept the
challenge to enlighten and lib-
erate other people when that
opportunity and challenge are
presented to you. Don’t be
afraid to answer the “could”
and “would” questions the

same way you answer the
“should” question. Whatever
your take on the extent of your
obligation to do so for yourself
and others, surely you would
agree with me on the right
answer to the “should” ques-
tion. The same answer is the
right one to the other two ques-
tions, too. It is right for you, it
is right for them, it is right for
us!

And whether the response
you receive is deafening
silence (extremely unlikely) or
enthusiastic applause (very
likely) matters not a whit! You
will have made a difference.

You will have raised the
consciousness of and had a
positive impact on a lot of peo-
ple. You will have taken one
very small, but one incredibly
meaningful step toward elimi-
nating prejudice and engender-
ing acceptance. You will have
given your friends the courage
to do the same thing. And, you
will have made yourself very
proud indeed.

Brooke Pearson lives in
M0ntpelier.V

iigri’/""

  

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and support Vermont's ’ "'5 "
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in the name of the Happy Couple.

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