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Menspace:
Brattleboro Men's Program Thrives
by
Jason Whipple
In
1995, the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont started up the Men's Program
to concentrate on HIV prevention work with gay and bi men in the Brattleboro
area. Today, the Men's Program employs two 3⁄4 time coordinators.
Alex Potter, a lifelong Brattleboro resident who began volunteering with
the Men's Program back in 1995, is the Newsletter and Social Events Coordinator.
Howie Peterson, a resident of Chesterfield, NH, is the Small Groups and
Outreach Coordinator.
Alex and Howie handle the everyday
aspects of the Men's Program but look to the Core Group - a small group
of volunteers from the community - for guidance on how the Men's Program
can further the positive impact it has had on the gay and bi men's community
in the area. I recently stopped by the new Menspace and had a chat with
Alex and Howie.
Jason: Let's get right to the point. Why do we need the Men's Program?
Why is it relevant?
Howie: Treatment for HIV infection has gotten so much better, but it is
still a very serious disease that I want to help guys avoid. We need the
Men's Program because it's really important for gay and bi men to have
opportunities to meet, connect and have fun with other guys, and to build
community - a community where guys support each other in staying healthy
and connected and practicing HIV prevention behaviors.
Alex: We're a fabulous, vibrant presence here in southern Vermont, and
the community is richer for our existence. We also hear from men outside
the central Brattleboro area that the Men's Program is relevant to their
lives, through both the newsletter and the events. Some guys drive quite
a ways to come to our events, just to socialize with the men of this area,
as we're known as particularly friendly and welcoming. Other men have
gone out of their way to let us know that receiving the newsletter is
their one tangible connection to a gay community in their small rural
town.
Jason: What types of programs and services do you currently offer?
Alex: The first service I always think of is our monthly newsletter. Previously
HotFlashes, this publication was just recently renamed Connections by
our Core Group, as they felt this name better represented our mission
and purpose. Free and anonymous HIV Counseling and Testing is another
service offered through our program. We offer Orasure, the oral test,
which is safe, easy, and accurate and does not require any needles. No
names are taken, and all tests results are provided by number.
Howie: We're also holding eight to ten monthly events that bring guys
together where they can socialize, have fun and have access to condoms
and information about healthy living. We have occasional larger events
like the Harvest Fireball and the Belle of Brattleboro Cruise. We do outreach
at community events like the annual Bear Film Festival and the upcoming
Green Mountain Rural GLBT Film Festival, providing info about the Men's
Program as well as HIV prevention info and supplies.
Jason: What types of programs and services would you like to offer?
Alex: I would love for us to be able to offer more events of interest
to a younger age range of gay and bi men. We know from feedback we are
receiving that younger men are not getting the HIV prevention information
they need, and that at the same time are often feeling fatalistic about
HIV and future infection. We are making a large effort to determine what
sorts of events and gatherings might bring in a younger range of guys.
Howie: Yes, we're really looking to hear more from the younger gay and
bi guys in the area. We'd also like to hold events geared to other segments
of the community - for guys into bears, leather, working out, theater
and art - whatever!
Jason:
What challenges have you encountered since you've started working for
the Men's Program?
Howie: I think the biggest challenge we face is finding ways to support
guys in staying safe that really work. Beating guys over the head with
the same old safer sex messages they've been hearing for the past 20 years
will not work. But addressing the issues that keep guys from staying safe
- like low self-esteem, overuse of drugs and alcohol, isolation and lack
of emotional support - is where we need to focus our efforts. Getting
guys connected to a supportive community is a major step in addressing
those issues - and finding ways to reach guys who aren't yet connected
is a major challenge.
Alex: It can be challenging to reach guys and get them out and energized
in a rural, small town environment. Some men are still a bit hesitant
about being overly out in their small towns, and worry that being too
involved in something like the Men's Program may compromise their privacy.
Another challenge we face in working with HIV prevention is that the gay
and bi community overall has a serious case of AIDS-fatigue. So many of
us have been hearing these messages for so many years. We meet a number
of men who simply don't want to talk about it one more time. And we really
understand that.
Jason: What do you hope to accomplish at the Men's Program?
Howie: What I'd really like to do is reach more and more guys who don't
feel at all connected to the local men's community, and even if they don't
really want to be coming to Men's Program events all the time, help them
get connected with at least a few other gay and bi guys for friendship
and support.
Alex: I hope to accomplish the creation of those connections I've talked
about, and the creation of strong community norms aroundsafer sex, thereby
having a true impact on the health,wellnessand happiness of the men in
this area.
Jason Whipple is a freelance writer whose work has been featured in
the Seattle Gay News, RFD Journal and Genre Magazine. He was previously
an editor of Out in the Mountains. He lives in Brattleboro, VT. You can
reach him at jason@ghostmediaonline.com
Don’t be shy.
Be in touch.
Get connected to the Men's Program
Are you looking to connect with other guys from the community in a fun
and relaxed way? Are you interested in finding space and time to talk
about what truly matters to gay and bi men? Look
no further. Connections, a three-hour interactive workshop focusing on
how we meet, date, become intimate and have sex as men, is where you want
to be. To learn more about the Connections workshop and how to register,
email Howie at the Men's Program at men@sover.net