Letters to the Editor
HA Typical of “Ex-Gay” Groups
I read with interest about Andre’s efforts at starting a chapter of Homosexuals Anonymous in this area. I think it should be noted that the founder of Homosexuals Anonymous, Colin Cook, was asked to leave his “ex-gay” ministry for having sex with men seeking counseling from him. As far as I know, he is still claiming he is “ex-gay” and engaged in ministry.
However, that is typical of “ex-gay” ministries. Many of their leaders may act straight but inside they are still gay. They live lives based on denial. That’s why these ministries speak of “struggling” with homosexuality. It is not surprising that a few get caught, like John Paulk of Exodus International, in gay bars and cruising areas.
“Ex-gay” ministries claim many “victories” over homosexuality, but there are no real statistics to back those claims. According to one “ex-gay” leader (who is straight by the way), they don’t have the time to crunch any numbers. On the other hand, there are plenty of ex-ex-gays whose lives were traumatized by these ministries and [who] have since spoken out against them, including many founders and leaders of “ex-gay” ministries. The two founders of Exodus International, Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper, wound up falling in love and leaving the organization, proclaiming that they never once saw an “ex-gay.” Frank Shears was a viciously anti-gay crusader in Vancouver, BC and former director of Exodus International who was sick of struggling and came out as a gay man just before he died of AIDS. Rev. Craig Buxton, a Methodist minister, headed a chapter of Homosexuals Anonymous before he accepted the fact that he was gay. It is little wonder that many of the current leaders of “ex-gay” ministries are straight.
Much of this information I gathered from Evangelicals Concerned, an organization founded by Dr. Ralph Blair who has spent nearly 25 years exposing “ex-gay” claims. They can be reached at www.ecinc.org. There is also a web site called ExGay Nomad which also has information regarding these ministries (members.aol.com/ exgaynomad/index.htm).
The tragedy about Andre is that he and others like them are so filled with self-loathing and homophobia that they must get involved with organizations that confirm those negative feelings. Only when they learn to love and accept themselves can they truly be the person God or some such higher power wants them to be.
Michelle “Mikki” Thomas
Burlington
While not all “ex-gay” groups are organized on the 12-step model, it should be noted that none of the 12-step groups keeps statistics on those who attend its meetings. Other behavioral modification programs do keep statistics. – EB
Shumlin Has Best Chance
The upcoming race for Lieutenant Governor presents a difficult choice for our community. Both Anthony Pollina and Peter Shumlin would support our issues. For me, the more pressing question is who has the best shot of actually getting into office.
Assume for a moment that the Republicans maintain their majority of House seats. If Shumlin and Pollina split the liberal vote, neither one will get the 50% needed to win outright. Come January, the decision is made by the legislature. I can’t imagine them voting (in secret, let’s remember!) for either Shumlin or Polina. That very likely scenario would put Republican Brian Dubie in the leadership role of the Senate.
Last session it was the Democratic Senate that put a stop to legislation repealing civil unions, restricting access to abortion and many efforts to water down environmental laws. Next session may well see the start the process to add a "defense" of marriage provision to our constitution. Who wants Republican Dubie (who supports DOMA) in charge of that debate?
I spent a lot of time in the State House during the civil unions debates. It was the Democrats who stood up for us and suffered losses as a result in the 2000 elections. Some of my Progressive friends say there’s no difference between Democrats & Republicans. If you believe that, especially with GLBT issues, you must have had your head in the sand these past few years! Need some proof, imagine for a moment, Governor Dwyer. Please, vote and vote wisely.
Chuck Kletecka
Waterbury Center
Pollina Has Real Compassion
I had the opportunity to work with both Anthony Pollina and Peter Shumlin this past year. It was during the hearings for the medical marijuana bill. It did not take me long to see which one plays the game of politics and which one truly cares about seriously ill Vermonters.
In June, I recognized 20 years of HIV infection as a result of a blood transfusion. I have been treated for HIV with drugs since 1988. I have also experienced severe side effects from most of these drugs. Mostly, I suffer from nausea and vomiting and severe rashes.
I am very fortunate to have survived this disease for this long, and I pray I will continue living in relative good health for many more years. However, the use of marijuana, for medical purposes, is one of the reasons I am doing as well as I am today. It allows me to ease my nausea and vomiting, allowing me to eat well and retain what I ingest. When all my attention is not consumed by the nausea, I am able to be a better mother, wife, sister, daughter, business owner, and citizen of Vermont.
Peter Shumlin misled us to believe that he supported the medical marijuana bill that came to the Senate after it passed the House. On February 15, 2002, he stated in the Rutland Herald that he thought it was “a thoughtful bill.” However, Peter Shumlin, while holding a high position in the Senate, essentially ensured that this bill died. When a group of consumers got together to hold a press conference about the lack of understanding around this issue in the legislature, Peter Shumlin scheduled his own press conference 30 minutes before ours to “outdo” us in opposition to the House bill. He tried to push a version of the bill (he termed it a “compromise”, but it was really a political move) which would have resulted in forcing seriously ill patients to deal with drug dealers – a position that was totally unacceptable to consumers. Is this the way he intends to operate as Lieutenant Governor – trying to outmuscle and outwit vulnerable Vermonters? After the show he put on last legislative session, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
It takes true leadership to make difficult decisions. Allowing patients to improve their quality of life through the medicinal use of marijuana, when a doctor and patient together determine whether the benefits outweigh the risks, would be a true act of leadership. Bowing to political party pressures (when the majority of Vermonters understand and support the need for medical marijuana) is an act of cowardice, not leadership.
I had extensive conversations with Anthony Pollina over this issue and he truly gets it – he understands the needs of seriously ill Vermonters and he has a compassion and empathy that is truly lacking in Peter Shumlin.
I know in my heart that Anthony Pollina has the courage and the integrity to listen to Vermonters – to really listen. Anthony was right there with us in supporting this bill - beside us, working with us. I believe that is where he will be as Lieutenant Governor.
Katherine Perera
Hancock
Racine Partisan Urges LGBTQs to Vote
Thank you for interviewing the men who want to be Vermont’s next Governor. If we needed any further evidence of how important it is to vote in November, those interviews surely provided it. Clearly, our rights and our futures are at stake as much in this election as they were in 2000. The harsh rhetoric from that election may have been toned down but the underlying homophobia remains.
We need to participate in this election as if our lives depend on it. We need to register and to vote. We need to volunteer our time and our money to support candidates who are committed to working with us. We need to elect people who value human rights.
The choice for Governor could be no clearer. Doug Racine is intelligent, experienced, thoughtful and compassionate. Doug has consistently been a clear and effective ally for LGBT Vermonters. He has worked with members of our community at every step along the way in our efforts to establish our equal rights. He has heard our issues and concerns and shared his insights and his influence. He has not shied away from our struggles, he has championed them.
Doug Racine’s OITM interview shows his understanding of many of the issues that we face and his willingness to clearly and publicly state his commitment to our cause. In the last year he has spent many hours meeting and working with groups from within our community on important issues. He has listened to LGBT youth describe the daily challenges they face and to HIV+ Vermonters outline their physical, economic and social struggles. He clearly wants to work with us as partners on a wide range of important issues for Vermont.
I urge all LGBT Vermonters and our allies to register and to vote. Our rights and futures depend on the outcome of November’s elections. We need to elect Doug Racine Governor and we need to send people to the Vermont House and Senate who will work with him and us to build a better future for all Vermonters.
Tim Palmer
Williston
Tim Palmer is the Chittenden County coordinator for the Racine for Governor campaign.
No Needles in Our Back Yard
I am sure many of your readers understand what is meant by “hindsight is 20/20” but for those who do not, let me explain. What is meant by this adage is that though you cannot see into the future, what is in the past is very clear, like perfect vision, hence 20/20. This saying should hold true when it comes to a sure way of preventing blood-borne pathogens from spreading in our population.
Twenty plus years ago a virus was entering our society with very little acknowledgement from government officials. The virus was called the “Gay Related Infectious Disease” or GRID. It was years before scientists finally agreed to call it the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. It took many thousands of lives before people understood that it was a disease that could infect any human being, no matter what their sexual persuasion was. It is well known that the president during this time, Republican Ronald Reagan, did not even utter the word during his administration. It took celebrities, athletes and children to open the eyes of the public that the virus was spreading at a rapid rate all around them.
Today we have a lot of information on the spread of HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted disease and blood-to-blood infection. It seems that the gay population has gotten the message and the infection rate is tapering off within this sub-culture. What we are seeing is a rise in infection from the heterosexual population. Mainly the infections are in the intravenous drug using (IDU) population and the sexual partners of these people. What we are seeing is a rise of infection in women and youth to be exact.
Our hindsight shows us that though we cannot immediately change the behavior of these citizens, we can and should help keep them and society safe. Statistics show that the St. Johnsbury area has a higher rate of admitted intravenous drug use than even Chittenden County. With this information, the knowledge of the spread of certain diseases and the deaths of tens of thousands of people, we have the responsibility to act in a pro-active manner toward halting further infections.
Using a needle/syringe exchange as prevention of the spread of any disease just makes sense. The behavior is already there. The diseases are already there. The research is ongoing and supportive of syringe exchange prevention.
So, Senator and Selectmen of Caledonia County, when your son, daughter, granddaughter comes home with hepatitis C, HIV, or both, you can look back and say “I put that dirty needle back on the street for you.”
Pleasant dreams!
Robert A. Larabee
HIV Consumer Advocate
Vermont People with AIDS Coalition
According to news coverage, the selectboard of St. Johnsbury felt it was not consulted when the program was put in place, despite a letter sent to one member. It is requesting that the Department of Health rescind its permit for the program. DOH guidelines for needle exchange program permits require an organization to demonstrate “cooperation” from within the local community.
– EB
More “Press”-ing Concerns
I am writing in response to the article in last month’s OITM titled “Kaufman Tapped As New RU12? Director: Next Queer Summit Planned.” In the second part of the article you addressed the issue of press access to the Queer Summit and mentioned my role as meeting facilitator. After reading your account, I feel that several points need to be added to your description of the meeting.
At the beginning of the Summit you stated that you were going to report on the meeting in OITM and asked if meeting participants had objections. I appreciated that you asked directly. As with any process of response and dialogue, one person was the first individual at the meeting to object to having direct quotes appear in your article. We then spent at least half an hour talking about the issue of press coverage and the expressed desire that meeting participants feel safe in being part of a frank discussion. My recollection of this conversation is that several additional meeting participants expressed their agreement with the first participant who objected to direct quotes appearing in OITM. We then returned to the issue for a check-in during the afternoon part of the meeting to make sure that all were able to proceed with the agreement reached in the morning. That agreement, as I remember it, was that OITM was free to report on the content and outcome of the meeting but not include direct quotes.
This process is quite different from the statement in the OITM article “[O]ne participant objected to allowing direct quotes or active note-taking from the proceedings... Facilitator Stan Baker allowed the objection to block direct media reportage of the process.” My “allowing” was far from a quick decision and was based, I felt, on considerable discussion of the entire group with several participants in agreement and no strong disagreement expressed to block the way forward. Mountain Pride Media was also a participant in the Summit with two representatives part of the discussion, in addition to your presence as an OITM reporter. This dual relationship was part of the fabric of the day.
My understanding is that the Board and leadership of RU12? reached an agreement with OITM/Mountain Pride Media on participation and reporting for the second Queer Summit so that participants will know what arrangements with the press have been made.
Clearly all involved in Queer public meetings should expect press to be there. Queer meetings that are held by invitation are a more complex matter and this is where I would like to see future discussion center. I agree that the issue of complete press coverage of non-public Queer events and meetings is of major importance. Making it possible for participants to feel safe in engaging in direct, and possibly contentious, discussion while still having open and accurate reporting is important. My concern as facilitator at the first Queer Summit was that the press access issue would consume a major portion of the day and keep us from the business at hand.
I would like to see a future comprehensive discussion of press coverage of Queer meetings, especially meetings held by invitation. I would be interested in being part of such a discussion. This might be a forum that OITM or Mountain Pride Media could sponsor.
This letter is meant only to add to or clarify portions of your last article on the Queer Summit. I applaud the direction that OITM is taking in becoming a major press force in Vermont. Recent reporting and articles have been impressive. I look forward to more conversation about these vital issues.
Stan Baker
Shelburne
The Mountain Pride Media representatives disagreed with the majority opinion blocking full coverage of the first Queer Summit, but chose not to insist, feeling that it was more important for the meeting to continue.
The “agreement” that was reached regarding press involvement in the second Queer summit was similar to the policy for the first Queer Summit, but issued before the meeting: I was again invited, but only on condition that I would agree to rely on “official notes” rather than on direct observations or quotes, i.e., prior censorship. I declined. The “official notes” from Queer Summit 2 can be found in the Community Compass section of this issue. – EB