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Call it a warm-up for Pride; call it a public affirmation of self-esteem; call it a chance to be out en masse on Burlington's Church Street. Just make sure you call it a success.
Youth Pride '99, held on May 8 at City Hall in Burlington, featured a public speakout, a march up Church Street, and a prom for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning youth and their allies.
More than a dozen youth stepped up to the microphone on the steps of City Hall to share experiences and reflections on being GLBTQA, out, and proud. An enthusiastic crowd of more than 75 friends, family members, and passers-by stopped to listen to speakers running the gamut from shy to gregarious, from overwhelmed out-of-state visitors to emcee Palmer Legare, who has been featured in Time magazine for his work as a GLBTQ youth activist.
One young woman talked about coming out, pointing out that "just going about the business of being who we are [is a radical act] because there are people out there who say we don't exist." A UVM student shared some of his poetry about coming out and being out. Another speaker shared some of her experiences as the daughter of a lesbian couple, "I can't think of a better way to be raised or a better way to be loved than by two mothers. To me, they've raised the most beautiful family."
After the speakout, more than 25 young people participated in a march from City Hall to the top of the Church Street Marketplace and back. Walking behind a banner that read "Youth for Pride and Pride for Youth," they waved Outright Vermont signs and a rainbow flag as they chanted such gems as "Two, four, six, eight; don't assume your kids are straight!" Pedestrians, sidewalk cafe diners, and even folks hanging out of upper-level windows cheered the contingent along its route.
Later that evening, more than 100 youth and adults returned to Contois Auditorium at City Hall for "Heroes & Villains," the first ever Burlington Youth Pride Prom. A blue-sequined Superman worked the door, greeting a crowd decked out in everything from casual wear to gowns and tuxes to full costume. Among the crowd partaking of the punch, portraits, prizes, and pulsing rhythms were Ken and Barbie, Tank Girl, vampires galore, Liberace and Elton John (who, one observer noted, looked very much like a pair of before-and-after Elton Johns).
The Youth Pride '99 event was a project of the Youth Program Committee of Outright Vermont. Founded in 1989, Outright was the first statewide organization for gay youth in the country. Its fulltime staff of three and its volunteer corps work to support GLBTQ youth and their communities through outreach and education.
