Communtiy Compass
Community Compass
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.
BiNet Vermont
Bi Net VT is hoping to scedule regular social events and meeting groups throughout Vermont and especially in the Burlington area. We will have an information table at the Emerald Ball on October 8, a foliage hike to Camel’s Hump on October 17, and a movie night in Montpelier on October 29.
In an effort to help connect our diverse and dispersed Bisexual community in Vermont, we have created a discussion list to serve for both discussions about Bisexual issues and announcements about events and activities related to Bi-Net Vermont. We hope the list will help the bisexual community create a ‘place of our own’, without detracting from the interesting and exciting discussions that have occurred on pridenet about bisexual issues. To subscribe to the list, email: majordomo@queernet.org and write: subscribe binetvermont in the body of the email. To subscribe to the list in digest, write: subscribe binetvermont-digest. Anyone interested in learning more about Bi-Net Vermont, volunteer opportunities, or to organize an event please call Bi-Net’s self-proclaimed ‘calender queen’ to get the word out - Max 863-3963.
Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society
The Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society (CVUUS) in Middlebury will host a Decision Day Openhouse beginning at 7 pm on whatever Friday the Vermont Supreme Court decision on same-gender marriage is announced. If the court decision is positive, we will be hosting an open celebration of a very joyous day in history. If the decision is negative or remanded, the openhouse is "on" anyway, as a place to gather to express ourselves and support each other in light of the decision. All are warmly invited, whatever the decision.
Bring some munchies to share if you are so inspired, or just come. Please spread the word! CVUUS is located at 6 Cross Street, on the corner of Cross and Water streets, Middlebury. For more information, please call 388-8080. Hope to see you there!
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, New England Chapter
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NGLJA) works within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of lesbian and gay issues and opposes newsroom bias against gays and lesbians and all other minorities. NLGJA also provides networking opportunities for lesbian and gay journalists, media professionals and communication/journalism students on local, national and international levels.
Since its founding in 1990, NLGJA has grown to a 1,200-member, 23-chapter organization in the United States and Canada with an affiliate in Germany.
The issues of same-sex marriage, gay families, parenting and adoption, gays in the military, sex education in the schools, civil liberties, gay-related ballot initiatives, gay bashing and anti-gay violence are commanding media attention with regularity.
NLGJA has had a positive effect on responsible gay coverage, but we still have work to do. By joining the national organization and getting involved in the New England chapter, you can help make sure that this important work gets done.
The New England chapter will be meeting on October 30 at the home of John Scagliotti in Guilford, VT.
For more information, contact Barbara Dozetos at GLCaucus@aol.com or 434-6486 or Fred Kuhr, president of the New England chapter, at 617-426-8246 x.311 or fkuhr@aol.com.
Pride Committee for the Year 2000
As much as it seems like Pride just finished and the summer is not even over yet, we are already looking into next year and how we can make the day a great event and get as many people and community groups together.
The Pride Committee would like to start the new planning year with our first meeting on Wednesday, October 6th at Vermont Floral on Pine Street in Burlington. There are already many positive responses from various groups in the community who will be sending folks to this meeting. What we are hoping is to reach more groups as well as individuals to participate in the planning. This is, as people know, a year-long commitment that we encourage people to join in on. We hope people are not only willing to come to us with ideas but that they are willing to help make these ideas and events happen.
Our next big fundraiser event will be Friday, October 8, 1999. It is the "Emerald City Ball" at Burlington’s Contois Auditorium. Our theme, of course, is "The Wizard Of Oz." It is the first event of UVM’s celebration of National Coming Out Week.
Pride Vermont can be reached in several different ways. Our mailing address is Pride Vermont, PO Box 1433, Burlington, VT 05402. We also have a new Web page www.geocities.com/ WestHollywood/parade/9660 that is updated on a regular basis and can recieve e-mail, or an actual person can be reached at 864-3455. If you want to be added to the mailing list, please send us your information.
Rainbow Business Association
At its September 8th mixer, the Rainbow Business Association presented to Mike Hayes of the Pride Committee a check for $250, proceeds from sales of advertising in the Pride Guide. The 1999 Pride Guide was the third edition produced by the RBA, which undertakes to keep advertising costs low to allow for more advertisers, yet high enough to allow for free printing of the Pride Schedule of Events.
Also at this mixer, Mack Roark, Web editor for Mountain Pride Media spoke on the many exciting developments happening with the Web site where we find Out in the Mountains, as well as the grants that are allowing for many of the new projects at Mountain Pride Media. Mack’s talk allowed for further discussion about the merits of newspaper subscription when so much today is on the internet. One participant observed that with a gift subscription given to a sibling, no fewer than six people read that single copy of OITM.
The October mixer will be on October 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 in St. Albans at Jeff’s Maine Seafood, Rep. Bill Lippert will speak about domestic partner benefits.
Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force
The Task Force continues to focus on education. Thanks to the Samara Foundation, we have two new table-top displays that can go anywhere in the state. In October we will be at the Brattleboro Commons Stop the Hate! vigil,the Putney School Harvest Festival, the South Hero Applefest, the Manchester Farm and Food Fair, the New England Young Women’s Conference at Vermont Technical College, and several other events still in the works. If you know of an upcoming event where the Task Force might be able to have a display table, let us know!
We are also setting up speaking engagements and special events. Coming in early November is a panel, Area Clergy Speak About Love, Marriage and Same Gender Relationships, in Bellows Falls, moderated by Rev. Anthony Acheson. Do you know of a church, civic or social organization that might be interested in learning about the same-gender marriage issue?
As always, there is no shortage of things to do. Please call us at 388-2633, and we’ll put you in touch with the regional coordinator for your area.
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A crowd enjoyed the last
R.U.1.2? Community Center potluck of the summer at Battery Street
Park in Burlington. R.U.1.2? hosts potlucks the second Monday of
each month for the GLBTA community. Photo by Jordan
Silverman
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