R.U.1.2? Honors Goslant at Annual Gala
Howdy Russell Presents His "Gay Agenda" in Keynote

by Euan Bear

Volunteer of the Year: Plainfield's Keith Goslant

     Keith Goslant, a community activist for two decades and the gay community’s liaison to the Governor for the past 15 years, “had no idea,” that he would be honored as “Volunteer of the Year” at the R.U.12? annual fundraising dinner he said later. Perhaps the fact that a friend had furnished his ticket and dragooned him into attending should have given him a hint.
      Goslant was honored for his consistent presence when bills that affect our communities came before the legislature, putting a human face on the issues. He received a plaque reading, “R.U.1.2? Community Center wishes to honor Keith Goslant as Volunteer of the Year 2002 for his exceptional work in strengthening our community over the past two decades by creating awareness about the lives of GLBTIQA Vermonters in Montpelier and beyond.”
      Now a Justice of the Peace and chairman of the Plainfield Select Board (in effect, “mayor” of the town), Keith has hardly slowed in his public service since his early days as a gay activist.
      The dinner at which he received his award was a gala event held at the Radisson Hotel in Burlington to raise funds for the R.U.12? community center. Longtime activist and native Vermonter Howdy Russell gave the keynote address, recalling a history of gay organizing in Vermont.
      “I wanted to look into the future,” Russell began, “but I kept being drawn back to our roots.” He highlighted the fact that this year’s Pride celebration in Burlington is Vermont’s 20th. “Pride was first started by a group of women with a grant through CommonWomon,” he recalled.
      Marching in 1983 meant facing threats and the possibility of violence, Russell said, reminding the audience that there were no legal protections and that marchers risked losing jobs, housing and custody of their children.
      His list of our communities’ accomplishments included expanding a hate crimes law, passing a civil rights law, getting line-item funding for HIV services, domestic partner benefits for state employees, the right to adopt children, laws and regulations barring anti-gay harassment in schools, and the passage of civil unions legislation. “Who would have thought, 20 years ago, that we’d be where we are?” Russell asked.
      In addition, gays and lesbians established an infrastructure of our own, with a newspaper, Vermont Cares, Vermonters for Lesbian and Gay Rights (later the Vermont Coalition), Outright Vermont, and other organizations. Russell recalled that the Equal Rights Amendment was defeated in Vermont because of homophobia – opponents played on fears that the law was a “back door” way to gain equality for gays and lesbians. “We put them on notice, we’re not using the back door, we’re coming right in the front door!” Russell said.
      “If there isn’t a homosexual agenda, there damn well ought to be one! And we ought to be spending energy articulating it instead of denying it,” Russell declared. His agenda has four items on it. First, “access to every child in Vermont to tell them that homosexuality is normal and good” (courtesy of Nancy Sheltra) – that is, “whoever you are is just fine with us.”
      Second, “We should establish greater connections to low-income, people of color, women, and others facing oppression. We can’t leave people behind.”
      Third, “We need more elected GLBTQ members of the legislature – more women in the House, and more GLBTQ members of the Senate.” He cited the work of Hinesburg Rep. Bill Lippert on civil unions as showing what a difference it makes “when they’re talking with us and not about us.”
      Fourth, “We will not be satisfied with Vermont. We don’t want to be an island of safety in troubled seas,” Russell said. We must look beyond our borders to support and encourage similar changes in other states and on a federal level.
      Russell concluded with the declaration, “We are a tremendous asset. Vermont is all the richer if more GLBTQs move here. We make Vermont better. And I am honored to stand side by side with you.”