Letters continued from page eight a set of research questions based not only on the unique opportunities offered by civil union Legislation but also on our community members’ interests and concerns regard- ing the impact ofcivil union on partner relationships and fami- lies. So we want to ask the read- ers of OITM: If you had the opportunity to survey LGBT individuals, couples, and fami- lies around the state about how these are being affected by civil union law, what would you want to know? We will draw on your responses to help us develop an initial research agenda aimed at informing our community of the various ways civil union legislation is affect- ing our lives and relationships. Write us c/o OITM or email us atjsweinst@zoo.uvm.edu or dfelicio@zoo.uvm.edu. You may write us anonymously if you wish. However, if you choose to include your name and/or other identifying infor- mation we will not disclose this information in any future reports or research. Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you. Jackie Weinstock & Diane Felicio Maryland Thanks Thank you Governor Dean. Thank you Marina Collins, J.P. Thank you Vermont! When I heard that there was a State Supreme Court saying that gay Americans deserve the same rights of association as their non-gay kin, I thought “Yea!” When I heard it was Vermont, I thought, “Vermont?! Oh no, not ‘Maple Syrup’ Vermont!” Well, after researching the Internet, we decided to stay in Burlington, overlooking beau- tiful Lake Champlain. We visit- ed Barre’s quarries and ceme- teries, Shelburne’s marvelous museum and took our picture on the grand steps of the State House and in front of the more modest facade of the State Supreme Court building in Montpelier. We walked and walked and drank coffee and enjoyed the work of the students of the NECI. Vermont is beautiful and we will be encouraging all of our family, friends and col- leagues to visit and spend their vacation dollars in your fair state. Thank you again Vermont. You did the right thing for the right reasons. May you be blessed with prosperity in return. Kate and Kim Meeks-Hall Baltimore, Maryland Keeping Promises Christopher Kaufman’s thoughtful letter to the editor last month concerning Vermonters for Civil Unions raises an important issue. In particular, Mr. Kaufman chides the newly formed polit- ical action committee for sup- porting Governor Dean. We should be clear about what VCU is and is not. We do not purport to be a multi-issue organization concerned with all aspects’ of social justice, or even gay rights. Rather, we were formed for the narrow an specific purpose of protecting Vermont’s civil union law by (1) supporting incumbent can- didates who voted for the law, (2) backing challengers to incumbents who voted against the law, and (3) working for pro civil union candidates who are running for open seats. Our Send your dog to day camp for the summer... fflfag; fifée a flag. primary focus, by far, is and will be the Vermont legislature. This spring, when it became clear that our legislature was unwilling to include same-sex couples in the marriage laws, the freedom to marry commu- nity in Vermont struggled with a very difficult decision. Should we fight against the A civil union law because it stops short of full equality, or should we support the law and contin- ue to work for full equality? The activists at the core of the freedom to marry movement, who struggled with the ques- tion, ultimately concluded that we should support the civil union law as a compromise measure, despite its shortcom- ings. For one, the law purports to recognize gay and lesbian relationships as equal -— an important acknowledgment to all of us. Moreover, we decided that to fight against such an important set of legal protec- tions for gay and lesbian cou- ples and their families because they didn’t go far enough, would be unwise and unfair to the many couples who could benefit from the legal protec- tions the law provides them. Having made that difficult decision, we then had to com- mit ourselves to doing every- thing we could to promote the passage of that law. We mobi- lized our grassroots, told our stories, and assured our sup- porters, and those on the fence, that we would be there for them in November. We didn’t say, “We will be there for you CDoggioCDagcaite It's good to be the dog. 860. 1 1 44 59 .7ndusbu'a€ avenue ‘Uliws tan ‘Uwunaut e you had your beet measured? At Main Street Footworks we still measure feet and fit shoes. We carry only properly designed, well made footwear from the best European and American shoemakers — shoes and sandals from Ara, Noot, Paul Thomas and Stegmann, to name a few. We are also the area's source for orthopedic and orthotic footwear, with shoes andsandols from P.W. Minor and Drew. Stop by to _see our professional shoefitters and feel the difference! August 2000 I in November, unless somebody else who we like better comes along.” (If we had, we may well not have a civil union law today.) They were there for us, and now it’s our turn to live up to our own promises. That means that, first and foremost, VCU will back every member of the legislature who voted for the civil union law, as well as the Governor and Lieutenant Governor who made it happen. We fully understand that when considering a broad range of issues, some freedom to marry supports will choose to support candidates other than those backed by VCU. That’s fine. We may agree on 95 percent of the candidates and disagree about five per- cent. We do urge folks, howev- er, to be mindful of the assur- Benae Franklin amfite Ge,‘/:5 seem “mg Monday-Saturday 9-9 Sunday 11-5 518 Shelhurne Road Next to Mall 189 852-0646 www.hentrank|in.l1aweb.cam Eel discounts join our Craft Club! °"”‘ foonclatio Our Out in the Mountains [13 ances that many of us as a com- munity made to legislators through the legislative session. In the meantime, the attacks on the entire gay and lesbian community have intensified. Whatever you do, please get involved. Volunteer for your favorite candidates; join VCU; send money to VCU and sup- portive candidates; most important, VOTE! Our sur- vival depends on it. Beth Robinson Beth Robinson is a member of the legal team who repre- sented the plaintififv in Baker v Vermont and Secretary of Vermonters for Civil Unions. 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