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.
Mountain Pride Media
Mountain Pride Media launched its new domain, www.mountainpridemedia.org, last month. If you haven’t checked us out yet, March is the month to do it. MPM’s new home page goes live on March 1 with several more features to keep our community connected, including access to our new chat room on Gay.com.
You also have one month left to enter a drawing for a 2000 Vermont Entertainment Book ($35 value). Everyone who subscribes or gives a gift subscription to Out in the Mountains via our site by 3/31 will be entered in the April 15 drawing, so subscribe online today.
MPM’s community connections depend on volunteers, and we have numerous such positions for writers, reviewers, paper distributors, event hosts, etc. We encourage people to stop by our office in Richmond the last Thursday of the month to help prepare the paper for mailing. See MPM’s Community Calendar for dates and times or email us at distribution@mountainpridemedia.org for details on becoming more involved with OITM and MPM.
MPM thanks Ernie McLeod and Kevin Moss for hosting the Middlebury stop of our Green Mountain Tour. We have several more stops; watch OITM for details. Thanks also to everyone who entered the OITM Poetry Contest. April’s issue will include a special poetry section highlighting our winners.
This issue of OITM is Donald Eggert’s last as Art Director. Everyone at MPM and OITM would like to thank Don for his outstanding work and dedication over the past 2.5 years. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please contact us at personnel@mountainpridemedia.org or (802) 434-6486 (option 3).
Pride Vermont
The weekly Pride Vermont fundraiser — Drag Bingo with Lady Zeno — should hit the $3000 level the first Tuesday of March. With people paying just one dollar to play two cards all night, the charging of the “stupid tax,” and the passing of the donation basket, Lady Zeno has averaged more than $100 for Pride Vermont weekly. Her goal of $5000 before June 17 is very reachable. The fun starts at 8pm every Tuesday at 135 Pearl in Burlington, with a “Will & Grace” break built in at 9pm.
Another fundraiser for Pride Vermont 2000 is a joint effort among The Robert Dalton Salon, the House of LeMay and 135 Pearl. The second annual Wig Wars takes place on Saturday, April 1. From 4pm-8pm, the Robert Dalton Salon will style your wig for a $10 donation to Pride Vermont.
With your donation, you receive a pass for that evening at 135 Pearl. Go home, get dressed up, and come to 135 Pearl for a contest with prizes awarded for most beautiful, scariest, most original and most outrageous. Contest begins at 11:00pm. If you can’t make it to the salon you can still enter the contest with a $10 donation at the door. The regular admission price of $4/$5 will be charged for those wanting to watch.
For more information call Robert Dalton Salon in Burlington at (802) 658-0423.
Samara Foundation of Vermont
Reminder to all 501(c)(3) GLBT organizations — it is still not too late to submit your Letter of Intent in order to be considered for a Samara Grant for the year 2000. Your letter of intent is due on March 1! Grant application packages can be obtained by calling Samara at 860-6236 or emailing your request to samara@ together.net.
Samara is looking forward to welcoming Lila Gracey (of the national Gill Foundation) to Vermont during the first week of March. Lila will be conducting a number of community assessment meetings in preparation for the fundraising training workshops to be scheduled throughout the rest of 2000. More on this next month!
Southern Vermont Gender-Role-Free Contra Group
Bring in the springtime dancing! The Southern Vermont Gender-Role-Free Contra group will host their next dance on April 1 at the Putney Community Center. Celebrated caller Chris Riciotti will share his wonderful skills, and music by Hilltown Fling will keep us on the move.
What is a contra dance? Contra dancing is a form of folk dancing. Think of it as square dancing in lines instead of squares! Contra dancing has long been a form of community celebration and interaction; come to just one dance and you will see why.
We are a friendly group that truly welcomes new dancers. No partner or experience is needed, and all dances are taught. Never been to a contra? Come and tap your feet to the music, and check it out! We walk through each dance before dancing it, and the basic moves are easy to pick up. You don’t need skill; you just need a sense of humor and a desire to have fun!
And you experienced dancers, we need you too!
Contra dancing creates a relaxed social atmosphere that is very welcoming. Please, won’t you join us? For more information, call Alex at (802) 257-8571 or Howie at (603) 256-6995.
Vermont Coalition For Lesbian and Gay Rights
On Wednesday, March 22, 2000, VCLGR will host their sixth annual Visibility Day at the State House. We are inviting all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally organizations to spend the day at the State House with us. We have the cardroom for the whole day for exhibits, so you can display your organization’s information.
This will be a great opportunity to speak with your legislators about issues of concern to you. This legislative session, VCLGR is following a number of bills that we believe concern our community. In addition to the marriage issue, we are speaking with legislators about S. 255 (discrimination on the basis of gender identity), H. 473 (harassment polices in education), and H.194 (citizen initiatives). If there is a bill of interest to you, please contact us.
Plan on coming to Montpelier for Visibility Day. All are welcome. You do not need to be part of an organization to take part in the day. We need to show legislators that we exist. But if your organization is planning to attend, please email renfrew@sover.net or call 496-4333.