RU12? Community Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Vermont

A SafeSpace Update....

Hello everyone!  As we have mentioned in the past SafeSpace @ RU12? Community Center wants to keep you in the loop about what is happening in the SafeSpace office.  This past week as been busy...

Ann, the Program Director of SafeSpace was interviewed and filmed by Darrell Crawford-Morris, the Outreach Educator from Women Helping Battered Women (WHBW).  SafeSpace has made it a practice to regularly present to new recruits interested in volunteering at WHBW.  The video will be used to train participants about other local agencies doing domestic and sexual violence work!   Exciting new stuff!

SafeSpace also tabled this past week at the 32nd Annual Take Back the Night event, held on Thursday April 22nd.  The evening began on the UVM campus with a speaker and rally, continued with a march downtown and ended with a speak-out at Contoise Auditorium at City Hall.  What an honor it was to be present for the survivor stories, told by individuals feeling ready to share their stories!

This past week was Crime Victims Rights Week.  This year’s theme, "Crime Victims’ Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect." reminds us of the core rights that all crime victims want and deserve—the right to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect.  Each April since 1981, OVC has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. Our very own Brenda Pitmon, SafeSpace Direct Service advocate was nominated and selected to win the "Advocates Award".  It was a beautiful ceremony and it was a pleasure celebrating Brenda and the amazing work she does with victims of crime.  YAY Brenda!!

On Thursday evening, April 22nd, RU12? hosted its annual pot luck dinner!  There were lots of new faces, good food and excellent conversation!  It was a nice evening spent visiting with supporters of the Center!  Thanks everyone for coming! 

Until next time....if you or someone you know needs assistance please contact the SafeSpace office at 863-0003.

Healing Fire for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Please try to visit the Healing Fire
Healing Fire for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Thursday, April 29 10:00 AM

The Healing Fire is a 12 hour event offering survivors of sexual and gender-based violence a welcoming place to break the isolation and build community. 10AM-10PM, stop by the Women's Center, 34 S. Williams Street, at any time. The Fire is meant to be a space where survivors, family, friends, and our community as a whole can begin and continue to heal. Join them for food, reiki, and art projects. Call 656-2925 for info.

 

Visit

www.gedakina.org for additional information on the Healing Fire Initiative

Take Back the Night - Burlington 2010

On April 21st, 2010 Burlington held the 32nd annual Take Back the Night March.  The Women's Rape Crisis Center was instrumental in creating the events of the evening.  Take Back the Night 2010 began on the steps of the Bailey/Howe Library with participants gathering to listen to speakers and music.  The speak-out was an opportunity to get participants pumped up to "Take Back the Night".  The guest speaker at the rally was Suzie DeBrosse.  After Suzie addressed the crowd more than one hundred people marched downtown to Contoise Auditorium where survivors of sexual violence told their stories at the speak-out.  Participants in the 32nd annual Take Back the Night Rally marched from the University of Vermont campus to City Hall in Burlington.

The speak-out in Contoise Auditorium was an opportunity for survivors to give voice to their stories in an environment that felt safe, open, and non-judgmental.  Many survivors of sexual violence shared their stories and felt supported by their community.  Sharing such intimate details of one's life is a very difficult step to take, yet among us were many survivors who felt ready to share....what an honor to be among them!  

April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month, and Take Back the Night happens every April.  Each year there is a rally, a march and a speak-out.  Speaking out, and telling your story out loud can be healing for many people.  It can provide closure and allow a person to move forward, without carrying the burden of past trauma.   

Thank you to the many individuals who decided that April 21st, 2010 was their time to share their story! 

Hopefully the turnout next year will be even better than it was this year!  Sexual Violence is an every day issue, requiring every day support and solutions.  We need to continue to "make some noise" around the issues of sexual violence so that all people are safe. 

Will you come and Take Back the Night with us in 2011?  We sure hope so! 

If you or someone you know needs personal advocacy and support, please call SafeSpace, the anti-violence/anti-discrimination program, advocates are available to assist.  The number to call is 863-0003. 

 

Transgender Social Support

Hello! Just a reminder that we have on-going peer led social support groups for trans people here at the Center (and one for partners of trans guys). These groups are a great place to meet other community members with similar experiences for mutual support and information exchange. Email Kara@ru12.org if you want more information or to let us know you're coming. Thanks!

Trans Support for female identified folks: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 6:30-8pm

Trans Support for male identified folks: 4th Monday (TONIGHT!) 6-7:30pm

Trans Support for Trans Guys over the age of 35: 2nd Wednesday 6:30-8pm

Partners of Trans Guys: 3rd Thursday 6:30-8pm

Spring Potluck: Tonight!

 Come to the RU12? Community Center tonight for the Spring Potluck! The festivities begin at 6:00 pm and will go to 8:00 pm. Come join fellow LGBTQ Vermonters and enjoy delicious food prepared by you and other community members! Bring some food to share with everyone and ideas for future events to share with the staff! We are excited to see you here tonight!

 

*Save the Date*

On May 12th, 2010 the Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund, in partnership with the Children's Advocacy Center of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, will be host a silent auction and wine tasting at Magnolia Bistro beginning at 5:30 pm. The event will help raise funds to aid children who have been affected by sexual assault by providing them with scholarships to attend art and nature camps, as well as other restorative and enriching programs. For more information about the Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund please email lkwfund@yahoo.com or visit www.lkwfund.org.

The L Word...Tonight at 5:30!

Just a reminder that tonight from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm the RU12? Community Center will be showing episodes 5 and 6 of The L Word! Come join us and find out what happens next in the scandalous world of the LA ladies. This is also a great time for community members to share their ideas for future social events. See you tonight*

  What will happen between Jenny and Marina?!  

LGBT Center in NYC responds to hate

Important note from our friends at the LGBT Community Center in New York City:

LGBT Community Responds in Solidarity

On the morning of April 14, 2010 the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center staff arrived to find a torched rainbow flag draped on the front of our building. This act of hate must not be tolerated! Actions like this are menacing to our community and, if not addressed, can lead to an environment that allows more heinous acts, such as verbal attacks, property damage and physical violence. Showing our solidarity now will empower our community and send a message to the public that we will not be intimidated or threatened.

The Center is a beacon of safety and hope for LGBT New Yorkers and our building stands as an emblem of our community's presence in the city. The Center is visited over 300,000 times every year by people in search of support, safety and transformation. More than 1,000 young people come through our doors annually searching for acceptance and a place where they feel comfortable expressing their true selves.

Cowardly acts of hateful speech must be responded to with acts of courage and unity.

The Center has partnered with Gilbert Baker, the Rainbow Flag's creator, as well as many elected officials and other organizations to bring together our community and unfurl a new 20 foot long flag that will drape the building (please visit gaycenter.org/torchedflag for the most up to date information). On Wednesday, April 21st at 5:00 pm we will gather together as one to prove that we will not sit idly by while our home is threatened. We invite our straight allies to stand with us to demonstrate that LGBT safety and rights are not just an issue for LGBT people. Our city is strong and we need to come together to show that we cannot be intimidated.

Please join us and demonstrate the true power of community!

When: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Where: In front of The LGBT Community Center, 208 W 13th Street, Manhattan

For questions or how to help, please contact Jeffrey Klein at jklein@gaycenter.org

Sincerely,
Glennda Testone

Family Playtime Reminder

Just a reminder that tomorrow from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm The Family Project and Casey Family Services are hosting family playtime at the Tarrant Center (the recreational facility at Saint Michael's College)! We are excited to meet you and your family, play games, create art and hear your ideas for future social events. See you there!

The L Word: Episodes 4 & 5

 Next Tuesday, April 20th the RU12? Community Center will  be showing episodes 4 and 5 of The L Word! Come join us from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm to indulge in the guilty pleasure of The L Word and eat popcorn! A quick recap of what happened last time: In the second episode, Marina attends an awkward dinner party hosted by Tim and Jenny, and Bette and Tina move forward with their plans for parenthood. In the third episode, Jenny struggles with her attraction to Marina, Alice takes a stand and ends a dissatisfying relationship and we finally see Dana get over her anxiety and go on a date (woo hoo!) The fourth and fifth episodes are sure to be filled with all of the juicy drama that encompasses these hot LA ladies, so stop by the center and watch what happens next! 

Obama extends visitation rights!

A major challenge for same-gendered couples has been the lack of recognition and visitation rights for partners in the hospital. Now, President Barack Obama is ordering that nearly all hospitals allow patients to say who has visitation rights and who can help make medical decisions, including gay and lesbian partners.

The White House on Thursday released a statement by Obama instructing his Health and Human Services secretary to draft rules requiring hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid payments to grant all patients the right to designate people who can visit and consult with them at crucial moments.

We at the Center are excited to hear this, and look forward to continuing to move forward until all people have full equality!

Click here for the full story!

US Census: It's Not Over Yet!!

Although the April 1st deadline for the US Census has come and gone, it is still incredibly important that you fill out your US Census form and mail it in (if you haven't already done so). Why? Here's a few reasons:

• The census determines the number of seats that each state has in the House of Representatives
• Every year the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to states and communities based (in part) on census data
• Local decision-makers then use this money for social service programs, health care, schools, arts and cultural centers and transportation in your community!

Need another reason? The push from the US government for completed census forms hasn't stopped just because the deadline has come and gone. The next step is for a US Census employee to knock on your door and politely ask you to fill out the form. Guess who pays for those people to knock on your door? The American taxpayers! So if you would like to save yourself and your fellow citizens some money then please take the five minutes it requires to fill out the form and do it!

The 2010 Census is historic: it is the first time that same-sex married and unmarried couples will be counted as they report themselves! How prevalent are we? Of the 5.5 million unmarried couples living in the United States, about 1 in 9 are of the same-sex. 1 in 3 lesbian-couple households and 1 in 5 gay-couple households are raising children under the age of 18. Almost 12 % of gay and lesbian couples have a head-of-household who is age 65 or older.

Once you have licked the US Census envelope and stuck it in the mail you can stop by the RU12? Community Center and pick up a census t-shirt!! Woo hoo! Thanks for taking the time to fill out the form!

Don't forget about our Youth

On the National Day of Silence hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. So take a moment today and remember our youth. 

*~Spring Potluck~*

The RU12? Community Center is hosting a Spring Potluck next Thursday, April 22nd from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Come celebrate the change of the season with the community and enjoy delicious food and good company! We also encourage you to bring a dish to share, so if you have a new recipe that you've been waiting to try out this is the perfect opportunity! The Spring Potluck is a great time to meet new community members and reconnect with those you haven't seen in a while! We ask that you please RSVP to this event and let us know what you would like to bring. You can call 860.7812 or email alex@ru12.org for more information and to RSVP. See you there!

Happy Spring! 

Safety Dance Moved to FRIDAY Night!

The Safety Dance is moving to Friday night! Come join us this Friday, April 16th at Red Square from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm for the 2nd annual Safety Dance! The Safety Dance is an opportunity for you to show your support for Sexual Violence Awareness Month, flaunt your dance moves and score free condoms and chocolate! See you there*

The Partners of Trans Guys Group tomorrow night, Thursday, April 15th at 6:30pm has been cancelled, but will resume next month on Thursday, May 20th at 6:30pm. For more information contact Kara@ru12.org.

Vermont CARES Updates Tools to Help Speak Out Against Severe Cuts to State HIV Programs

Updated HIV Advocacy Tools online at:

http://www.vtcares.org/events/stopcuts.html

This winter, Vermont's Governor proposed a state budget for the Fiscal Year starting July 1, 2010 that will dramatically cut state funds to HIV programs across the state. More than half (57%) of the State's commitment to HIV programs could be eliminated in the next three months.

Vermont CARES, and our allied HIV and health organizations, have been working hard to present to the state legislature clear arguments about why cutting state HIV funds by 57% would dramatically harm people living with HIV/AIDS, and would put more people at risk of HIV infection.


Here is the good news: the Vermont House Appropriations Committee voted to reverse those cuts, thanks to hearing from people like you about why these programs are crucial.


We have a ways to go to protect Vermont's network of HIV care and prevention. The Senate Appropriations Committee is deliberating the House's proposal over the next two weeks, and the choices are still incredibly challenging. You can help Vermont CARES by getting in touch with your Senator and explaining why you believe in this work.

We still need your help. If you visit our website through this link, you'll find simple and easy tools that will take you less than 3 minutes to complete to reach your state Senator to share your thoughts about the long-term harm of these short-sighted cuts. We've prepared emails you can fill out, as well as talking points if you want to call your neighbor legislator. HIV advocates statewide will appreciate every call, and every email, you make. Hearing from constituents makes a big difference in advocating for programs.

Please take the time to visit http://www.vtcares.org/events/stopcuts.html to access these tools. Every voice counts, and we need yours!

Details and background about these cuts and our work so far to try and stop the cuts can be found at our blog: http://vermontcares.wordpress.com

A look into what is happening in the SafeSpace Program...

Hello!  SafeSpace, the anti-violence, anti-discrimination Program of the RU12? Community Center has been a busy place...So far this fiscal year the Program has served 57 survivors of domestic, sexual or hate violence, bias or discrimination.  We continue to offer several support groups weekly for survivors of violence.  Both groups have been up and running weekly for quite some time. 

This past week time was spent preparing for our presentation at Dismantling Rape Culture, hosted by UVM on Thursday, April 15th at the Davis Center.  This is an all day event starting at 8:00 AM and ending at 4PM.  SafeSpace will be presenting during a morning session.  Our workshop is called "Informed Strategies for working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgernder, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) Trauma Victims. Is your organization and services LGBTQQ inclusive?  We hope to see you there.

SafeSpace was recently invited to join the WholeSomeBodies workgroup, and attended the first meeting this past week.  WholeSomeBodies is the new name for the group previously known as Joyful Sexuality.  The purpose of the group is to educate about the importance of sensuality and sexuality in a style that includes seeing and understanding the words outside of a "sexual only" context.  WholeSomeBodies has a preventative component to it, meaning if we teach young people the importance of talking about sensuality and sexuality and knowing what it means, there is the potential to teach about our "whole selves". 

Ann, the Program Director of SafeSpace continues to serve as the Chair of the Parallel Justice Commission.  The mission is that Parallel Justice recognizes that the criminal justice system is designed to deal with offenders, and can fall short of meeting the needs of victims of crime. Parallel Justice strives to reach out to people who have been victims of crime such as theft, property crime and assault. Victims are asked to describe the issues they face as direct result of crime. Parallel Justice offers support, resources and validation regardless of whether an offender is caught or proscecuted. We are very fortunate to have such an amazing program helping victims right here in Burlington. 

Brenda, the Direct Services Advocate of SafeSpace spent time this past week getting the "Dialogue Project" ready for display at the Vermont Law school located in South Royalton, Vermont.  "The Dialogue Project," a touring exhibit featuring interviews with older gay Vermonters and paintings, poems, songs and sculptures created by local artists and musicians inspired by the narratives.  The RU12? Queer Community Center recorded the untold stories of older gay men and women for "The Dialogue Project".  The narratives recall an era when homosexuality was not discussed in public, and there were few support networks for gay people coming out of the closet. Many married, had children and hid their true feelings for many years.  Brenda has done an amazing amount of work on this project. 

We will continue to update you regularly on what is happening in the SafeSpace Program.  If you or someone you know needs help around issues of domestic, sexual and/or hate violence, bias or discrimination please contact SafeSpace, we are available Monday through Friday from 9:00AM to 6:00 PM. 

Until next time...

The Dialogue Project at Vermont Law School

Vermont Queer Archives at the RU12? Community Center is proud to sponsor: The Dialogue Project: Bridging Generations of LGBTQ Vermonters at Vermont Law School.  This exhibition will be displayed at Oakes Hall the month of April and open to the public Thurs. April 15 and Thurs. April 22 from 4-8.

The Dialogue Project is the first project in Vermont documenting the lives and contributions of LGBTQ elders and youth in Vermont through recorded oral history interviews; interpretive artwork and pieces from the Vermont Queer Archive collection.  The Dialogue Project creates space for LGBTQ voices to be recognized and celebrated as well as promote dialogue between generations and communities.

These life stories interpreted from multiple perspectives makes visible the heterosexism experienced by the LGBTQ community and challenges the observer to engage in creating solutions to social, economic and political issues with diversity, equality and inclusiveness.

Thursday April 15th Vermont Law School and the UVM Women’s and Gender Studies Program will present: THE LAW AND POLITICS OF MARRIAGE AND EQUALITY: VERMONT, THE NATION AND THE WORLD 4:00-5:30 at the Chase Center, Vermont Law School in South Royalton, VT.  The keynote address will be given by Andrew Koppelman, John Paul Stevens Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University.  Opening reception afterwards from 6:00 -7:30. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.  This event is open to the public.

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Family Playtime at St. Michael's College

A reminder that on Sunday, April 18th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm The Family Project at RU12? Community Center is partnering with Casey Family Services for a social and recreational event at Saint Michael's College! Come join other LGBTQ birth, foster and adoptive families at the Tarrant Recreation Center (on the St. Mike's campus) for family playtime! There will be games, food and an arts and crafts activity for parents and children to enjoy together. The basketball and racquetball courts will be available for use, as well as a pool table and television in the recreation room. We ask that you please RSVP to this event by Wednesday, April 14th. Please email sharon@ru12.org with any questions about this event or to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

 Click here for a map and directions

April is Fair Housing Month

The Fair Housing Project with CCTV recently completed an eleven minute video on Reducing the Social and Political Barriers to Fair Housing.  The video can be viewed here:

http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/reducing-political-and-social-barriers-fair-housing

All over the country, people celebrate Fair Housing during the month of April. Why is April Fair Housing Month? The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on April 11, 1968. Although Congress had regularly considered the fair housing bill during the two years prior to its passage, it took a national tragedy to propel it to the President’s desk. The Fair Housing Act was signed just one week after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Johnson saw the Act as a fitting memorial to Dr. King’s life work. The 1968 act prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, and national origin. It was later amended to include sex, disability and familial status.

TRANSGENDER COUPLE OBTAINS $6000 IN HOUSING DISCRIMINATION SETTLEMENT

Samantha J. Cornell, a transgender woman, and her spouse Andrea V. Boisseau, who was born with an anatomical intersex condition, viewed an apartment in Oxford, Massachusetts with a real estate agent during the spring of 2008. The agent called them a few days later to inform the couple that the apartment had been rented to a "straight, single male." A subsequent investigation conducted by the Worcester Fair Housing Project found evidence that suggested the couple had been illegally discriminated against on the basis of their gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, and disability. These claims were included in the lawsuit brought against the landlords and real estate agent. The case was recently settled for a payment of $6,000 and a requirement that the real estate agent undergo fair housing training. "We filed this case because we believed what happened to us was discriminatory and based on biased perceptions of our sex," Boisseau said. "We are pleased that the case has resolved and hope it shows that everyone, regardless of gender identity, has a right to equal housing."

Todd’s Peek in for April: M. Butterfly, a Saga to the Heart of Being Human

 M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang is the 1988 Tony Award Winner for Best Play in America. It’s a fast moving play set in the 20th century.  It’s the on going story of René Guillimard and Madame Butterfly who fall in love together and travel from France to China.  Unfortunately, they go from being in love to being in prison.  The history of the times is pivotal to the story as once again it goes from liberal Paris, France to the historically significant China of the 1960’s where political and social unrest emerge as backdrop.

The paradox of the story line is that René Guillimard and Madame Butterfly are actually two men which the story doesn’t reveal  other than towards the end of the play.  In the beginning Guillimard himself is a man of character, who is of  high political and social success.  Madame Butterfly, played by the stage name of Song Lilling becomes Renee’s lover  in a time leading up to their imprisonment in the 1960’s Beijing, China.    

What is so moving is the sequencing of the how the play is performed throughout this epoch of actual history and the notion that Madame Butterfly herself is a man in drag and the two men actually fall in love.  Again, there is so much of history that is revealed throughout the sharing of the play with the audience, in terms of the life and times of this small cast of characters. The very notion that love is difficult no matter what the times plays a major role in how our lives are truly shaped.  There are always superficial ways and deep cut ways in which human love is affected by the society in which we live in, setting the stage for us all.

Time marches on, we fall in and out of love I suppose, but it’s the pragmatics of being in love, if there is such a thing in René Guillimard’s life, that really casts where we are in time and space in M. Butterfly.  Love can never be attained or obtained. Only when we come together as people can we see the truth of human relationships unfold and enfold.   To the beat of love being the most important idea in the first place.  That’s all.  

It’s a very sad love story about these two people in love and not in love with each other . . .and again the times are fast moving, true to form in living out life, and perhaps even so for the reader of M. Butterfly.  Maybe the start of Spring 2010 makes this a good play to reinstate that feeling for love about, on and in those terms, to really not start anew with who you are but to see where life ultimately takes us.  It is to grow from the realness of who we are in the reoccurring change in season, by season of the moments themselves.  

So read M. Butterfly for yourself and see where that epoch of time and space takes you. The times they are a changing and indeed in M. Butterfly that makes all the difference to the enduring quality of the play. . . so you decide how it ultimately affects and impacts you as the reader, go ahead and grab yourself a copy at R.U.12? on Elmwood Avenue across from the Post Office in Burlington,   Make it happen for yourself  in that light, as a read of your own accord! 

Change to the April Calendar

For those of you that stopped by the center and picked up an April calendar earlier this month we wanted to let you know that there has been a change to the schedule: the Spring Potluck will be on Thursday, April 22nd from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Please email alex@ru12.org for more information and to RSVP to this event!

Census Will Include Gay Households

By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN

Wednesday April 7, 2010

WESTMINSTER -- For the past few years, while Bari Shamas was campaigning for marriage equality in Vermont, she was not necessarily looking forward to filling out the 2010 census form. Shamas, and other activists in the state, successfully fought last year to make Vermont one of five states in the country with legal gay marriage. So when the form came to the house she shares with her wife, Diane, the couple proudly, and legally, put a check in the box marked "married."They are not the only ones. The U.S Census this week released its first public service video encouraging gay Americans to complete their census forms.

Vermont, along with Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa and the District of Columbia, have all legalized gay marriage since the last census forms were mailed out, and the bureau, for the first time, will be tallying the number of gay households in the country.

"One of the reasons we fought for this was so that we did not have to live a lie anymore," Shamas said. "When the census asks if we are married, we can now say it with authority."

On April 7, 2009, Vermont became the first state in the nation to legalize same sex marriage through legislation. Now, as couples around the state are filling out their census forms, that action will become one more data point among the thousands of reports issued by the U.S Census Bureau in the future.

"As a gay person I feel legitimized," she said. "The law says I am married." Shamas said Vermonters on a marriage equality list have been asking questions about the census form. Generally, she said, gay couples are marking the married box on the forms.

"People are saying they are married, because they are," she said. "Whether the federal government recognizes it or not is another story. As far as being a Vermonter, I know I am married and I can say that."

This is the first time the Census Bureau will recognize gay couples, Census Bureau partnership specialist Laura Waldon said. When the reports from the 2000 census were coming out, the Bush administration passed a rule that changed a household occupant’s gender, if a same-sex couple marked "married" or "unmarried couple" on the form. The unmarried couple box was added to count the number of men and women who were living together, but were not married. As gay couples marked the box, the census bureau had no way to quantify the data so the Bush administration had the gender changed on the reports, according to Waldon.

The Obama administration in July 2009 reversed that decision, so the bureau will be counting the same-sex couples across the country in the 2010 census. Waldon is one of about 24 field workers who are working all over the country to talk to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans about the census forms. Like other groups who have traditionally not filled out their census forms, the LGBT community is being encouraged to fill out their forms truthfully.

"We want them to be visible," Waldon said. "We are telling folks that the 2010 census is their census this is all about self-identification. We are telling people to fill out the form, whatever is true and honest for you."

On the census form, there is no box for sexual orientation, but if the first person in the household fills out a gender box, and the second person also fills out the same gender box, and they mark "married" or "unmarried partner," then that couple becomes a counted gay couple in America. "This is a policy change," Waldon said. "This is the first census data that will be released on both married and unmarried same sex couples."

Beth Robinson, chairwoman of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said the census forms have given marriage equality advocates one more reason to celebrate. She said after some initial confusion, gay couples are letting the Census Bureau know that they are legally married. "This is the reality of our lives," she said. "It is unfortunate that other folks around the country still have to wonder about their legal relationship. In many same- sex relationships, marking the single box is not a true indication of how they see themselves and their family. It does feel good to be counted."

Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@reform-er.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 279.

A Survey About Events for Lesbians

We've received some feedback lately here at the Center that we should have more lesbian-oriented events.  We're showing more episodes of "The L Word" on April, but we wanted your ideas and feedback about other things you'd like to do.  Take this quick, anonymous survey and let your voice be heard!  Please pass on the link to anyone you think wants to offer an opinion.  Thank you!

Click HERE for the survey!

The Latest on the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

There hasn't been much mention in the media lately regarding President Obama's call earlier this year for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". However, on March 25th Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced new measures that will make it more difficult for the military to discharge openly gay men and lesbians. 

The Pentagon is currently conducting a year-long study to asses the views of service members, their families and other relevant groups on how the repeal of the law should be carried out. However, we don't have to wait for the study to be concluded for changes to take place! From now on only an officer with the rank of at least a one-star general or admiral can launch a fact-finding inquiry or other proceeding, or any discharge under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". With this new guideline comes an increase in the standard for evidence, which is meant to put an end to "malicious outing" by a third party or an vengeful partner. Information from a third party will now only be considered if it is given under oath. The new guideline also prevents information provided to lawyers, medical doctors, clergy members or psychotherapists to be used as evidence against a service member.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"!

the L word...showing tonight at the RU12? Community Center nearest you!

Looking for something to do tonight? Come to the RU12? Community Center and watch "The L Word". The last episode we watched left us wondering many things about the lovely Los Angeles ladies. Are Tina and Bette going to have a baby? Will Jenny reveal to Tim what happened between her and Marina? Is there anyone left in the neighborhood that Shane hasn't hooked up with? If you have a burning desire to know what happens next then come join us from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm and find out the answers to these questions! This is also a great time to meet other people and share your ideas for future social events in the community! See you there! 

For more information about this event please email alex@ru12.org

"Proust in Love" Sunday April 11th at Vermont College of Fine Arts

WordStage Vermont presents "Proust in Love"; an afternoon of poetry, passion and transcendent music narrating the early lives of the eccentric writer and social commentator, Marcel Proust and the man that inspired some of his most elegant and heartfelt prose, the handsome and accomplished composer-pianist, Reynaldo Hahn.

 

The program will be presented for one performance only at the T.W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center, located on the campus of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36 College Street in Montpelier, VT on  Sunday, April 11^th at 4:30pm.  “Proust in Love” will feature the talents of actor/readers Tim Tavcar and William Pelton, bass-baritone Stephen Falbel and pianist Mary Jane Austin-Reynolds.

 

Tickets are a suggested $15, but WordStage Vermont maintains a “Pay What You Can” policy at the door.

 

For more information, please contact the T.W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center at 802-828-8743, or visit the WordStage Vermont website at www.wordstagevt.com.

 

Some further information about our program:

“Everything I have ever done has always been thanks to Reynaldo.”    Marcel Proust

By the age of nineteen in 1894, the musical child prodigy, Reynaldo Hahn, had written many songs about love; however, his worldly sophistication masked shyness about his own personal feelings. He had close intimate friendships with women but he reportedly loved them only at a distance his whole life.

1894 was to prove a fateful year for Hahn. At the home of artist Madeleine Lemaire, he met an aspiring writer three years older than himself. The writer was the then little-known, "highly strung and snobby" Marcel Proust. Proust and Hahn shared a love for painting, literature, and the composer, Gabriel Fauré. They became lovers and often traveled together and collaborated on various projects. One of those projects, Portraits de Peintres (1896), is a work consisting of spoken text with piano accompaniment.

Hahn honed his writing skills during this period, becoming one of the best critics on music and musicians. Seldom appreciating his contemporaries, he instead admired the artists of the past (shown in his portraits of legendary figures). His writing, like Proust's, was characterized by a deft skill in depicting small details.

Proust's unfinished autobiographical novel Jean Santeuil, posthumously published and, by some, considered ill-structured, nevertheless shows nascent genius and foreshadows his masterpiece À la recherche du temps perdu. Proust began to write it in 1895, one year after meeting Hahn (on whom a principal character is reportedly based). Although by 1896 they were no longer lovers, they remained lifelong friends and supporters until Proust's death in 1922.

Spring Fling: RU12? Queer Commuity Dinner & Auction

SAVE THE DATE: May 22, 2010

Please join us May 22nd for the 12th Annual Queer Community Dinner & Auction. RU12? Community Center is happy to announce comedian, Ian Harvie as this year's performer. Ian has opened for Margaret Cho, performed on LOGO's Wisecrack, One Night Stand, The OutLaugh Comedy Special and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

This annual event gathers over 300 LGBTQ individuals and their allies for a night a celebration and helps raise funds for the RU12? Community Center.

Click here to buy tickets and to check out our online auction.