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Community Compass is a service of OITM. GLBT organizations from around the state are invited to provide briet — 200 words or less — descriptions of recent or upcoming activities and events. Send your submissions to us by email by the 15th of the month.
On Friday, July 9, old and new friends of the Brattleboro Area AIDS Project were treated to a gourmet delight. A collaboration of local food artisans, musicians and merchants presented a festive North African meal at the home of Diana Bingham for the Project's benefit.
This extravaganza highlighted the culinary talents of Brenda Biddle, the chef and owner of the former Brick House Supper Club. Assisting Ms. Biddle were Judy Gorman and Susan MacDormand.
The menu featured local produce donated by area farmers. Under Brenda Biddle's able direction, volunteers began preparations for the gourmet meal the day before. Meanwhile, Diana artfully rearranged her home with carefully chosen African prints decorating the tables.
Within a few minutes of seven o'clock on Friday evening, the house was full of lively conversation and enthusiasm. As guests mingled over appetizers, Peter Tavalin played piano and the dazzling vocalist Gay Maxwell sang jazz standards. Project volunteers staffed the kitchen providing elegant but casual service as the company sat down to savor every bite of the evening's meal. Dining doesn't get much better!
Thanks to all who came and all who helped produce this wonderful evening.
In April and June, the Burlington R.U.1.2? Community Center sponsored the first two in a series of open-mic coffeehouse events scheduled to occur every other month at Penny Cluse Cafe in downtown Burlington. Musicians, poets, stand-up comedians, drag queens and others entertain the crowd enjoying fine appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages.
"The event is designed to create a substance-free, safe social environment for GLBT people of all ages and their allies," says Michael Bensel, one of the coffeehouse organizers. "We really have a great thing going here. We are especially grateful to have local support from groups like Outright Vermont, who volunteer to take on many of the responsibilities of planning the event." Other groups such as Men's Health Project of Vermont CARES, Vermont Gay Social Alternatives and Mountain Pride Media also sponsor the event.
The event's purpose is to create the feeling of a space that welcomes everyone, a space much like R.U.1.2? is trying to build with the Community Center. Coffeehouse events will eventually be held in a permanent location at the planned Burlington R.U.1.2? Community Center.
The next R.U.1.2? Coffee-house event is planned for August 7 from 7:30-11pm. A $5 donation is requested on a "more if you can, less if you can't" basis. The money funds future coffeehouse events and includes appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages.
The Gay Info Line of NH is proud to announce the publication of Gay Lifeline '99, a brand new, completely up-to-date directory for the sexual minority communities of Vermont and New Hampshire. This thoroughly researched, handy volume details the social groups and meeting places where we connect, plus professional services of interest. Gay AA meetings are covered, as are gay and lesbian B & Bs, New England GLBTQ publications, and Internet sites. Special sections for bisexuals, transgenders and GLBTQ youth are also included. Gay Lifeline '99 contains a wealth of hard-to-find info sure to be of interest to anyone connected to the queer community.
Because the Gay Info Line wants to get these books out into the community as quickly as possible, we are offering them for only $5 each, plus $3 shipping and handling. As a special incentive to get the community to help us distribute the directories, we will send twelve books out for only $50, and we will pay the shipping ourselves. We will also wholesale 24 or more books to affiliated groups or businesses for only $76 with postage included. Our hope is that individuals and organizations will sell and give away books to their friends and colleagues, distributing the book directly within the queer & allied community.
Send check or money order today to the Gay Info Line, 26 South Main St., Box 181, Concord, NH 03301. Email: Lifeline@quest-net.com. The Gay Info Line is a non-profit, all volunteer organization.
Mark your calendars... Lavender Visions Productions, Inc. is proud to present the sensational singer, songwriter and musician Lucie Blue Tremblay in concert at 8pm on Saturday, September 25th at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Burlington. This concert is the first official fundraiser for The VT Rainbow Connection TV show. The snack concession will benefit Outright VT.
Tickets are $15/advance and $17/door and are available at the Peace & Justice Store and the Outright VT office in Burlington. You can also order by mail before 9/17/99; send your check and SASE to Lavender Visions Productions, PO Box 307 Saint Albans, VT. 05478.
The VT Rainbow Connection is a program devoted to educating the public on GLBT issues, combatting negative images, and dispelling myths that continue to plague society. In addition to news, commentary, and a calendar of events from co-anchors Michael James and Sharon Randall, the show features a "Focus On" segment covering a variety of subjects and featured guests. The August program will include an interview with Lucie Blue Tremblay and a sneak preview of Lucie performing a song from her newest CD, "Because of You."
For info about the TV show, visit our web page. For more info about the concert, call (802) 849-2739. Hope to see you there!
The Samadhi Singers will reconvene regular Sunday night rehearsals on August 22nd at Christ Church Presbyterian on the UVM Redstone Campus in Burlington. Each rehearsal runs from 6-8pm.
The choir would be honored to have more tenors and basses fill our ranks as we prepare to open for Ellen DeGeneres at UVM's Patrick Gym on Sunday, October 10, and for our Fall concert on Saturday, December 11 at UVM's Ira Allen Chapel. FMI about joining the choir, please call Peter Frechette at (802) 864-5327.
The convocation of communities will be at Faerie Camp Destiny in Grafton, Vermont Sept 6-12.
Radical Fearies have for years been experimenting and building alternative living for rural queers. Although faeries are often known for outrageous drag and notorious "gatherings in the woods" within faery culture is a yearning for a deepening understanding of sacredness and usefulness of queers in other cultures and in pre-Christian europe. A society of "radical Faeries" emerged in the late 70's - gay men interested in feminism, the environment, earth-based spirituality, vegetarianism ,and living in the country. Twenty years later many do live in the country and are part of a larger network of intentional communities seeking change and experimenting with forms in the concepts of family,ownership of land, permaculture,and consensus. Coming to terms with ones homosexuality is also coming to terms with nature so an important link to the sacred in nature is explored in these communities.
Learning from experiences on the board of the VCLGR, Gabriel Q realized the larger faery community would benefit from coming together to share stories of the ups and downs of building community and the opportunity for community builders to get to know each other better.
This is an idea for Destiny to focus on as they figure out what we're going to be — invite the relatives! The result- faeries from all over the world are coming to Destiny.
While consumed with topics like "are we still vegetarian" or "how does our spirituality inform our activism" there's also an intention to build community with other queer groups and neighbors. Other groups may be interested in retreats on our land in the future or are connected to faeries through other groups. Since it's a networking gathering, we're extending an invitation to Vermonters active in building communities .a special "visitor lunch" day will be Friday, September 10.
For more information, write Destiny, PO Box 224, Brattleboro, VT 05302 or visit our web site. Please contact Gabriel Q if interested in visiting during the convocation.
Samara Foundation of Vermont has established an office at 90 Main Street in Burlington. The office will allow Samara to work more efficiently to fulfill its mission of increasing philanthropy for the well-being of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities of Vermont. Samara Foundation can now be reached by phone at 860-6236.
Samara has been assisted in setting up its new office by the grant of a computer and fax/modem from the IBM Fund for Community Service. The grant was awarded in recognition of the volunteer service of Mary Alice Schatzle, an IBM employee. IBM's Fund for Community Service grants are based on requests from employees, retirees, and spouses who have a record of active and ongoing involvement with local schools and charities.
Mary Alice has served on the Samara Board of Directors for several years, as Treasurer, and Chair of the Grants Advisory Committee. Within the IBM corporation, Mary Alice has been active as a member of EAGLE - Employees Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Empowerment, and serves on IBM's national Executive Diversity Task Force for Gays and Lesbians.
