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LGBTQ history in Vermont

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LGBTQ communities have been present in the American state of Vermont since the 1970s. Local legislation has granted protections to LGBT residents since the 1980s, and the state's first Pride parade was held in the state's capital, Burlington, in June 1983.

19th century

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In the first half of the 19th century, Weybridge residents Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake were treated as a married couple by the community following their years of commitment to each other. The two were buried together in the town and shared a single headstone.[1][2][3]

20th century

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Between the 1960s and 1980s, LGBTQ life in Vermont was fairly decentralized. LGBTQ residents would often travel to events out of state, in locales such as Boston, Montreal, or New York City.[4][5]

1970s

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Andrews Inn in Bellows Falls has been cited as the state's first gay bar. Local resident John Moises, an openly gay man, opened the inn in 1973 in a building that had been owned by his family.[4][6][7] In addition to being a meeting place for local LGBT residents, the inn also served as a stopover point for LGBT travelers going to and from Montreal and Boston.[8] However, the family sold the business to new owners in the late 1970s, after which the bar faced more scrutiny and backlash from the local community. It closed in 1984.[6][7]

The early 1970s also saw lesbian and feminist activism in the state. Daughters, Inc., a women-owned publishing press in Plainfield, published the lesbian novel Rubyfruit Jungle in 1973. Barbara Gittings visited the state to speak with local lesbian groups. In the mid-1970s, lesbian and feminist groups founded Women Against Rape in Burlington. In 1977, around 50 lesbians from Burlington attended the 2nd Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. The decade also saw a number of small lesbian collectives in the state.[9]

In 1976, the Gay Student Union was founded at the University of Vermont by Wilda White.[4][10] The group advocated for LGBT rights in the state and hosted social events such as dances and conferences.[4] Coordinated homophobic activism against gays and lesbians in Vermont trailed behind local LGBT groups, some of whom were able to speak at high schools and colleges about their experiences.[9]

Two LGBT publications were released in the state during the decade: Gay in Vermont, beginning in 1972, and Commonwoman, beginning in 1978. Gay in Vermont primarily functioned to spread word about social events, while Commonwoman focused on women's issues and lesbian feminism.[4][10]

1980s

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1983 saw the first Pride parade held in the state on June 25.[5] The event, held at City Hall Park in Burlington, was organized by lesbian feminist group Commonwoman and a gay men's group and partially funded by the Boston-based Haymarket People’s Fund. Around 300 people attended.[9][11] The event was publicly backed by the city's mayor, Bernie Sanders, then in his first term.[12] Several local businesses also supported the rally, although overall support was mixed, with several negative letters being sent to newspapers in the lead-up to June 25.[13]

Beginning in 1983, Burlington was home to Pearl’s, a gay bar also frequented by some LGBTQ women. The bar remained open until June 2006.[5][14]

In 1984, Vermonters for Lesbian and Gay Rights was founded.[13]

In 1985, Sanders put a city ordinance into place which prohibited housing discrimination against the "gay community...welfare recipients, the elderly, and the handicapped".[12]

In 1986, the LGBT newspaper Out in the Mountains was founded.[13]

1990s

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In the 1990s, Vermont gained popularity as a skiing destination for LGBTQ travelers. In December 1993, Out & About rated Vermont as the most LGBTQ-friendly ski destination.[15]

In 1999, RU12? (Are you one too?) Center was founded, which would later be renamed to Pride Center of Vermont.[10]

In December 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples were entitled to the same benefits under law that were given to married heterosexual couples.[16][17]

21st century

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2000s

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Following the December 1999 ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court that gay and lesbian couples were entitled to the same benefits under law as married heterosexual couples, Vermont became the first state in the United States to legalize civil unions.[16][18]

Same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in 2009.[18]

2010s

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In 2018, Christine Hallquist won the primary election for Vermont governor, making her the first transgender person to do so.[19]

2020s

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The 2020s have seen a number of LGBTQ Vermont residents be elected to positions of power within the state.

In 2020, Taylor Small was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, becoming the state's first openly trans legislator.[20]

In 2021, Becca Balint became the Vermont Senate's President pro tempore, making her the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to hold the position. In November 2022, Balint was elected to the federal House of Representatives, making her the first openly LGBTQ congressperson and first congresswoman from Vermont.[21][22]

In 2022, Michael Pieciak became the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the role of Vermont treasurer.[23]

In 2024, Burlington elected Emma Mulvaney-Stanak as mayor, making her the city's first women mayor and first openly LGBTQ mayor.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Boomer, Lee. "Life Story: Charity and Sylvia". Women & the American Story. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  2. ^ Kaplan, Sarah (March 20, 2015). "The improbable, 200-year-old story of one of America's first same-sex 'marriages'". The Washington Post. Washington, D. C. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  3. ^ Onion, Rebecca (13 June 2014). "Same-sex marriage in the 19th century". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Before Pride". Vermont Folklife. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  5. ^ a b c Crowley, Patrick (2023-06-19). "40 years later, planners of Vermont's first Pride march look back on a seminal moment for LGBTQ+ rights". VTDigger. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  6. ^ a b Borden, Elissa (2023-06-21). "Podcast recounts history of Vermont's first gay bar". www.wcax.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  7. ^ a b Weiss-Tisman, Howard (2023-06-16). "This Pride Month, Bellows Falls residents want to better commemorate a historic gay bar". Vermont Public. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  8. ^ O'Farrell, Kate. "Pride in Vermont: how it's evolved and what to expect this month". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  9. ^ a b c Luhrs, Peggy (September 2019). "A Short History of the Lesbian Feminist Origins of Gay Liberation in Vermont". www.vermontwoman.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  10. ^ a b c Dossett, Gordon (2023-09-27). "Stories from the Vermont Queer Archives". Manchester Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  11. ^ "Roadside Historic Site Marker to Commemorate Pride 1983". Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  12. ^ a b Tron, Gina (2016-02-29). "Mayor Bernie Sanders Created an '80s Trans Mecca in Burlington". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  13. ^ a b c "Making Pride". Vermont Folklife. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  14. ^ "Remembering a gay landmark in Burlington". NCPR. 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  15. ^ Ring, Wilson (1993-12-30). "Boycotting Colorado, gays flocking to Vermont slopes". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press.
  16. ^ a b Halloran, Liz (March 23, 2013). "How Vermont's 'Civil' War Fueled The Gay Marriage Movement". NPR.
  17. ^ "In Stunning Civil Rights Victory, VT Court Directs State to Give Same-Sex Couples Marriage Benefits". American Civil Liberties Union. December 20, 1999. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  18. ^ a b Coleman, Marilyn J.; Ganong, Lawrence H. (2014-09-02). The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-4522-8615-0.
  19. ^ Bidgood, Jess (2018-08-15). "Christine Hallquist, a Transgender Woman, Wins Vermont Governor's Primary". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  20. ^ Srikanth, Anagha (2020-11-04). "Taylor Small becomes Vermont's first transgender legislator". The Hill. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  21. ^ Gregorian, Dareh (2022-08-10). "With primary win, Becca Balint is likely to be Vermont's first female and openly gay member of Congress". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  22. ^ "Democrat Becca Balint projected to be Vermont's first woman and openly LGBTQ person in Congress". CBS News. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  23. ^ "Gay Man Michael Pieciak Elected Vermont Treasurer". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  24. ^ Adamczeski, Ryan (2024-03-07). "Meet Emma Mulvaney-Stanak: Vermont's first out queer mayor". Advocate. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
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