Racine in Agressive Drive to Connect to LGBT Community

by Bennett Law

Doug Racine, left, meets with Outright Vermont's Tim Palmer and Chuck Kletcka of the Freedom to Marry task force.

      Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Racine has begun an aggressive campaign of reconnecting with LBGT Vermonters. In separate meetings on December 12th and January 8th, Racine met with community members to learn first hand about the issues of concern to our community today.
      “In the past several years, many issues of great concern to the LGBT community in Vermont have become secondary by virtue of the focus necessary to move ahead with civil union legislation,” Racine noted. “I think it is important that those issues be brought back onto the political radar screen.”
      On December 12th, Racine met at the Burlington offices of Outright Vermont with Executive Director B.J. Rogers, Virginia Renfrew, and Tim Palmer. The focus of this discussion was the Safe Schools programs of the Department of Education.
      Rogers provided an overview of the work of Outright Vermont, and the needs of LBGT youth that the agency exists to address. It is the agency’s focus on youth that Racine believes made Outright “a rather convenient target for the backlash to the civil union legislation.”
      In response to protests from anti-civil union activists, the State discontinued it’s funding of Outright Vermont’s Safe Schools program, asserting that the Vermont Department of Education would address the continuing need. Outright Vermont, which had been performing as many as 80 school-based presentations a year in recent years, saw the number of requests for these presentations drop to just 8 in 2001. “It became an environment of intimidation,” explained Rogers, noting that four invitations to visit schools were revoked within a week under pressure from anti-gay activists.
      In Rogers’ view, though, the important work of coordinating a Safe Schools program geared towards providing safety for LGBT youth in schools and tools to educators to develop and support a safe environment, has not been effectively pursued by the Department of Education. Rogers cited a lack of leadership within the current administration as a key impediment to the appropriate pursuit of safe schools.
      State government is not standing up and saying “we are going to make Vermont’s schools safe for LGBT youth.” Nor is the government welcoming Outright Vermont back into our schools to continue its important work. Palmer noted that this silence of the state government makes it complicit in the erosion of our schools as safe environments for all students. Palmer encouraged Racine to lead the next administration in being a pro-active partner with existing community groups. “The necessary partnership is not currently coming from the state.”
      Renfrew similarly questioned the silence of our state government, and the Commissioner of Education specifically, in failing to condemn a Nancy Sheltra-led initiative in the state legislature to ban acknowledgment of same sex relationships in Vermont’s schools except as the cause of HIV infections and AIDS. Sheltra’s initiative seeks to eliminate any conversation in the schools that might foster support for LGBTQA youth. By Sheltra’s standard, if you are not condemning homosexuality, you are promoting it. Here again, Renfrew sees a state government that “is running from the gay issue.”
      Renfrew also took Racine and other political leaders and top administration officials to task for not publicly challenging the gay-bashing being perpetrated by some Republican legislators. Racine responded that “we have a quiet state government right now. It’s on cruise control. It needs to change.”
      And change seems very much a part of Racine’s agenda for his own administration. “The upcoming change in administration will provide an opportunity to review how business is being conducted throughout state government. Perhaps over the past ten years, in the absence of a real shake-up, elements of the administration may have become unresponsive.”

A Montpelier Roundtable

Racine with Mountain Pride Media's Carrie Rampp in January.

     At his January 8th roundtable discussion in Montpelier, attended by twelve members of the LGBT community, Racine asked the participants to “Tell me what you think should be different. What has state government done well, and what has it not done well?”
      Carrie Rampp underscored our community’s concern for LGBT youth and reiterated B.J. Rogers’ call for a stronger partnership between the state and Outright Vermont in addressing safe schools concerns.
      Chuck Kletecka criticized the Department of Health, and its AIDS Program in particular, for its “failure to listen to the community on policy issues.” Kletecka asserted that there is a damaging lack of communication between the Department of Health and the community, and that the Department of Health poses barriers to community-driven initiatives around HIV prevention and the provision of methadone treatment. The result of the lack of a working partnership between the Department and the affected communities is that “new HIV infections are taking place, and people are not coming forward for treatment,” said Kletecka.
      Kletecka also suggested that an element of institutionalized homophobia contributes to the communication issues between the DoH and the HIV community. Brian Cina noted that the alienation felt by Vermont’s HIV Community is shared by communities of color, those in greater economic need, and other groups that have been traditionally disenfranchised by institutional racism and classism. “It’s not just one community,” explained Cina. “It’s about how all people are treated.”
      Liz Campbell continued her activism on behalf of transgendered Vermonters. “Trans people have no rights in this state. They are not protected by any laws. I’m asking that just two words, ‘gender identity,’ be added to the protected classes definitions in Vermont state law.”
      Racine acknowledged that state government may not be culturally sensitive to the LGBT community. Casting homophobia as a learned affliction, Racine noted, “We learn homophobia, and it must be overcome through a learned response to it.” Stating that the appropriate attitude “starts at the top,” Racine vowed, “The attitude in my administration would be different.”
      When asked if a Racine administration would continue the position of liaison to the LGBT community, Racine was quick to acknowledge that no individual could appropriately represent the diverse interests of the LGBT community. “I hope to have frequent conversations with groups such as this to talk about state government. I want to develop a network of personal contacts through which I can seek advice.” Racine continued, “I think I should be listening to a large group of people, rather than a single community liaison.”

The Right People

     Racine believes that part of addressing internalized homophobia within state government is to find “the right people to serve” in a new administration. Representative Bill Lippert urged Racine not to depend on a single liaison, or even just an advisory committee, asserting that “the LGBT community in Vermont includes endless numbers of intelligent, competent individuals who should be actively considered for roles in the next administration.”
      Tim Palmer encouraged Racine to pursue a model for changing state government that former Governor Madeleine Kunin used so effectively in raising women to positions of influence through appointments within her administration. These appointments powerfully transformed the political landscape for women in Vermont. Palmer encouraged Racine to similarly welcome LGBT Vermonters into public policy positions. Concurred Lippert, “Our community is ready for it, and Vermont is ready for it.”
      Lippert challenged Racine to “consider members of our community in positions that go against type.” In addition to more traditional appointments to the Human Rights Commission or in AIDS policy, Lippert urged that LGBT Vermonters be represented in positions of influence and authority throughout state government. “Bringing our community into the administration is completely achievable.”
      Racine asked the roundtable participants to “help me find qualified Vermonters to serve in my administration. Not just as Secretaries and Commissioners,” he continued, “but in mid-level positions, and on boards, commissions, and advisory panels. LGBT Vermonters should be included not only where their insights are necessary, like in HIV/AIDS policy and in the honest pursuit of safe schools initiatives, but also in many other places where community representation can make a difference.”
      Linda Markin reflected on the allure of the Progressive Party for many gays and lesbians in Vermont. She expressed frustration that the Democratic Party failed to provide adequate support to fine LGBT candidates in House races during the last legislative session, like Judith Lashof in Addison County and Rob Larabee in Caledonia County. Markin went on to suggest that the Democratic Party be more proactive in developing training for LGBT candidates who need support in running for select boards, school committees, and other local elective offices. Markin asserted that including LGBT persons within the party building mechanisms would help foster greater loyalty within the LGBT community to the Democratic Party.
      In response to the comment that the Progressives “are talking about our issues across the board,” Racine emphatically stated, “The Democrats have been leading the way on progressive policies in Vermont. You need only look at the backlash to civil unions to see where the Democrats are and where the Republicans fall. We hear too often that the Republicans and Democrats are indistinguishable. This is clearly untrue. The progressive vision is shared by most Democrats, especially by me.”
      Beth Robinson urged Racine to use his influence to support the retention of Vermont’s civil union law. “Make the message one of coming together, not ripping our state apart in pursuit of a constitutional amendment.” The battle against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Robinson cautioned, would “condemn our community to three more years in which other issues of importance to our community are ignored.”
      Racine was also commended for identifying livable wages as an issue in his upcoming campaign. In a speech delivered this past fall to supporters Racine noted the importance of assuring a livable wage to all Vermonters.
      When asked how members of our community might help Racine in his bid for Governor, he pointed to the obvious. “I need to get elected in order to do what I want to do. I need your political support. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you will be political. Support candidates who are supportive of the issues we’ve talked about today.” When asked if the LGBT community’s support might be perceived as liability for a Racine candidacy, Racine replied, “I don’t view this community as a liability.” As an example of his long-standing commitment, he stated, “I came out months before the Supreme Court ruling on Baker v. Vermont and made it clear that I don’t have a problem with gay marriage.”
      Racine acknowledged that on every social issue, government can always do more. Government is limited in its capacity to effect change by certain budget realities. “The key (in establishing state budgets) is balance, and priorities and values play into this. It is a priority of mine to respond to people who have a real need.” He continued, “I have been sensitive to these issues as a legislator and as an Appropriations Committee member.”
      Racine drew the discussion to a close, saying, “I have a value system that I believe is in synch with the values you represent. I have a commitment to elevating the status of this community. People take cues from their elected leaders. There’s an opportunity there, and I’ll take advantage of it.”
      Commenting on the value of this roundtable discussion for him, Racine declared, “This sort of forum will continue if I become Governor. I will listen. I will solicit your advice and insights.” And as if to underscore this, the very next morning Racine set into the motion the planning of a similar community roundtable for January 23rd in Burlington.