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On November 12, 1998, I attended the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force "Creating Change" Conference in Pittsburgh. It was wonderful to spend four days with more than 2,000 GLBT people. The opportunity to network was well worth the trip. There were so many workshops from which to choose. The ones I attended addressed issues relating to transgenders, citizen initiatives, developing a database, and GLBT in the union, to name a few.
But mainly, I attended the conference to meet with other members of the NGLTF Federation of LGBT Statewide Political Organizations, of which the Vermont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights is a member.
The week of the Conference, the Federation announced the upcoming "Equality Begins at Home Week," which will be held on March 21-27, 1999. Events will take place around the country in GLBT communities and will highlight the challenges and opportunities for change in state government and state organizing.
VCLGR has been invited to apply for a grant to help coordinate the " Equality Begins at Home Week" here in Vermont. To plan the week, VCLGR would like to work with GLBT organizations throughout the state and will contact those organizations to see in what way they would like to participate in the festivities. If your organization would like to plan an event, or are in the process of planning an event, please contact Virginia Renfrew at 496-4333 or renfrew@sover.net.
Another date to mark on your calendar is February 16, 1999. VCLGR will be at the State House for our annual Visibility Day. This year, as VCLGR has done over the past four years, we have reserved the Card Room in the State House and will invite GLBT organizations and individuals to come and meet their legislators. This is a time for all to come and spend an exciting day at the State House. We hope to see you there.
When the Legislature reconvenes in January, it will discuss issues having a direct impact on our communities: issues such as revisions to Act 60 and electric restructuring, issues affecting us as taxpayers and citizens. But there will also be legislation affecting personal decisions we make and the protections afforded to us.
The Office of the Attorney General has convened a special task force to look at hate and bias crime prosecution in Vermont. The proposal would give the victim/survivor of a hate crime the option of obtaining a restraining order against an alleged offender. This provision had been proposed in the original bill passed in 1987 but was deleted, as people were unfamiliar with the process of granting such orders. The bill also attempts to establish consistency in penalties and sentencing.
The Department of Health has created a draft proposal on name-specific reporting of HIV. While there is general agreement that Vermont needs more accurate and current information on HIV infections, there is not agreement that a name-reporting system has advantages over one using unique identifiers. There is also discussion about whether the Department of Health has the authority to implement a new system or whether legislative approval is required.
As we wait for the Supreme Court to rule on Baker v. State, we will see the reintroduction of Defense of Marriage Act-type bills and possibly citizens' initiatives. The Legislature did not aggressively or actively support these efforts in the last session. But with the arguments having been made before the Supreme Court, our opposition may feel a greater sense of urgency on this issue and place greater pressure on legislators.
Funding for HIV/AIDS is a concern each legislative session. The Department of Health submits its yearly budget to the Office of Administration to be considered and included in the Governor's budget. We must always be vigilant in ensuring adequate monies are being requested to provide the services we know are needed in direct client services, prevention, and the medication assistance and insurance assistance programs.
What can you do? Legislators need to hear from constituents; they need to hear from us. They need to hear our support or opposition to specific legislation. They need to know we are watching what they are doing. They need to be thanked when they do something we support. And if there are committee and public hearings, we must be willing to testify. As in previous years, the Coalition will monitor legislative action. If there are issues of particular importance to you, do not hesitate to contact us for updates. Or volunteer to be a member of the Public Policy Committee and have direct involvement with the legislative process. You can contact me either via the Coalition toll free at (888) 825-4989 or directly at 454-8552,or email: kgoslant@ddmhs.state.vt.us.
