Upcoming events (scroll down for details):
- Burlington School Board meeting to address transphobia
February 11, 2020
-Public Hearing on Firearms and Safety for Domestic Violence Victims
Feb 18, 2020
- Burlington School Board meeting to address transphobia
February 11, 2020
-Public Hearing on Firearms and Safety for Domestic Violence Victims
Feb 18, 2020
Stand Up for Survivors! Public Hearing on Firearms and Safety for Domestic Violence Victims
WHEN: Tuesday, February 18th, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
WHERE: Statehouse, Montpelier, VT
WHAT: Hearing on H. 610
An upcoming evening hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to provide testimony on H.610, which will help keep survivors who seek protections orders safe from gun violence.
The Network wants to demonstrate strong support for the bill at this important event. Show your support for survivors by attending the hearing and wearing purple. Interested in testifying? Want to get involved?
Our mailing address is:
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence P.O. Box 405 Montpelier, VT 05401
Feb 10: public hearings on 2021 state budget
The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations are seeking input on the FY2021 State budget as proposed by the Governor. There will be public hearings at several locations across the State. The hearings will be held on Monday, February 10, 2020, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
DORSET — AT THE TOWN HALL — (THANK YOU TO Sandra Towslee Pinsonault FOR ARRANGING THE LOCATION)
Barre City – Downstreet Housing and Community Development, Suite 100
Morrisville – People’s Academy High School, Auditorium
Rutland City – Longfellow School Building, Board Room
St. Johnsbury – St. Johnsbury House, Main Dining Room
St. Albans City – St. Albans City School, Library
Winooski – VSAC, follow the signs upon entering
Springfield – Springfield Town Hall, 3rd Floor Conference Room (Selectmen’s Hall) 5:30-6:30 p.m.
You can see the Governor’s proposed budget on the web site for the Department of Finance and Management. Anyone wishing to submit written testimony should e-mail Theresa Utton-Jerman at [email protected] or call 802-828-5767.
DORSET — AT THE TOWN HALL — (THANK YOU TO Sandra Towslee Pinsonault FOR ARRANGING THE LOCATION)
Barre City – Downstreet Housing and Community Development, Suite 100
Morrisville – People’s Academy High School, Auditorium
Rutland City – Longfellow School Building, Board Room
St. Johnsbury – St. Johnsbury House, Main Dining Room
St. Albans City – St. Albans City School, Library
Winooski – VSAC, follow the signs upon entering
Springfield – Springfield Town Hall, 3rd Floor Conference Room (Selectmen’s Hall) 5:30-6:30 p.m.
You can see the Governor’s proposed budget on the web site for the Department of Finance and Management. Anyone wishing to submit written testimony should e-mail Theresa Utton-Jerman at [email protected] or call 802-828-5767.
Coffee with the Lt Governor Zuckerman
Feb 7, 2020
8:30-10
Feb 7, 2020
8:30-10
Burlington School Board meeting to address transphobia
February 11 at 6pm at BHS.
As you may have heard, the Burlington School Board recently received a long, transphobic and factually inaccurate, anonymous letter purportedly written by an elementary school teacher or staff person (attached). Without going into the awful details, the letter basically objects to kids being taught that being trans and/or gender nonbinary is anything other than "orthodoxy," and that the school district should immediately stop teaching kids that being trans or gender nonbinary is ok or normal.
A group of parents, professionals and Outright Vermont are working together to present accurate and evidence-based information about trans and gender nonconforming youth to the school board on February 11th. Our goal is not to debate the letter that they received. Rather we would like to present the Board with medically accurate information about what it means to be transgender and gender nonconforming, a review of the many mainstream, "best practice" policies in place in our Agency of Education, Health Dept., Dept of Children and Families, Department of Financial Regulation..., review of the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey results (just released last month) and what the results tell us about the risks faced daily by our gay, trans and gender nonconforming youth, as well as our personal stories as parents.
We will also be reminding the Board about their obligations under the recent US Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with the BSD. We want to help the Board to hold themselves accountable to the Settlement Agreement and the kids in the district that need them to be leaders. If you are not familiar with the Settlement Agreement (also attached) it arose from discrimination against a trans/gender nonconforming student at Sustainability Academy.
Our ask is for the district to implement a LQBTQ+ Training Work Plan that was developed by Outright at the request of the Superintendent last fall and has sat idle since then. Our prepared presentation is about 30 minutes.
We would love it if you could join us to show your support and speak to the Board if you wish. Our planned presentation will take place during the public forum during which members of the public have about 2 minutes to speak. If you can turn out but do not want to speak, we are looking for a few volunteers to “yield” their time to 3 of our speakers who need more than 2 minutes for their part of the program. Please let me know if you can turn out and would like to speak or if you would be willing to yield your time.
The Board meeting is February 11 at 6pm at BHS.
A group of parents, professionals and Outright Vermont are working together to present accurate and evidence-based information about trans and gender nonconforming youth to the school board on February 11th. Our goal is not to debate the letter that they received. Rather we would like to present the Board with medically accurate information about what it means to be transgender and gender nonconforming, a review of the many mainstream, "best practice" policies in place in our Agency of Education, Health Dept., Dept of Children and Families, Department of Financial Regulation..., review of the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey results (just released last month) and what the results tell us about the risks faced daily by our gay, trans and gender nonconforming youth, as well as our personal stories as parents.
We will also be reminding the Board about their obligations under the recent US Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with the BSD. We want to help the Board to hold themselves accountable to the Settlement Agreement and the kids in the district that need them to be leaders. If you are not familiar with the Settlement Agreement (also attached) it arose from discrimination against a trans/gender nonconforming student at Sustainability Academy.
Our ask is for the district to implement a LQBTQ+ Training Work Plan that was developed by Outright at the request of the Superintendent last fall and has sat idle since then. Our prepared presentation is about 30 minutes.
We would love it if you could join us to show your support and speak to the Board if you wish. Our planned presentation will take place during the public forum during which members of the public have about 2 minutes to speak. If you can turn out but do not want to speak, we are looking for a few volunteers to “yield” their time to 3 of our speakers who need more than 2 minutes for their part of the program. Please let me know if you can turn out and would like to speak or if you would be willing to yield your time.
The Board meeting is February 11 at 6pm at BHS.
SAVE THE DATE 01/28/20
Next Steps Open Forum
Dear TIC Community,
Please save the date for an Open Forum:
January 28, 2020
5:30-7:30pm
UVM Interfaith Center on Redstone Campus
This open forum is for students, staff, faculty and community members to consider next steps for TIC, hosted by UVM Student Life and the Prism Center.
There will be small and large group conversations and brainstorms. Please come ready to engage and plan to attend for the entire event. Snacks will be provided and you are welcome to bring your own food to enjoy while we work.
Can't attend in person? An online invitation to give feedback will follow shortly after the forum.
About the Space:
The Interfaith Center is wheelchair accessible and all restrooms are gender-inclusive, single-occupancy. Please help us keep this space welcoming to as many as possible by not wearing heavily scented products, including perfumes and essential oils, to the event.
For directions please visit the campus map: https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uvm.edu%2Fmap%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ce60f0169d48945df376908d794567d9b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637140971498469292&sdata=XuKxumuPWgsgrkXQG08DOAjn%2FsCFXeRLJX941wfO6%2FY%3D&reserved=0
Parking is very limited on campus. Please pay attention to permit signs and park only in visitor spaces.
If you have additional questions please email [email protected]
Members of VT LGBTQI community
meet with Gov. Scott 2/21/19
Open Forums for Hate Free Vermont
The Attorney General’s Office is hosting a series of community forums related to a Hate-Free Vermont and all our invited to attend.
The first forum will be on February 20th at 5:30 pm at Vermont Law School in South Royalton Vermont in the Oakes Hall classroom, #110. This is located in the main campus building of Vermont Law School. A campus map is attached.
Dr. Etan Nasreddin - Longo will be moderating each of these community conversations over the next few weeks. Etan is the Chair of the Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel, Co-Chair of the State Police’s Fair and Impartial Policing Committee as well as a Professor at Marlboro College.
Below is the agenda and timing for the event:
5:30 PM Event begins
The panelists for the event are as follows:
Bor Yang, Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission
Tabitha Pohl Moore, Rutland NAACP President
Mike Bensel, Executive Director of the Pride Center of Vermont
Rabbi Amy Small, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue
Julio Thompson, AGO Civil Rights Unit Director
David Cahill, Windsor County State's Attorney
Jules Torti, Assistant U.S. Attorney, VT U.S. Attorneys Office, Civil Rights Division
Lt. Garry Scott, Vermont State Police
*Curtis Reed, Executive Director, Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity (Unable to attend on the 20th, but invited for the following two forums)
*Representative of the Islamic Center of Vermont (invited)
Other dates:
March 13th, @5:30 pm Winooski Senior Center, Winooski VT
March 26th @5:30pm Mt. Anthony Union Middle School, Bennington VT
Event organizer is:
Natalie Silver
Community Outreach and Policy Coordinator
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
[email protected]
802 595 8679
We hope you can attend at least one of these events.
Lt. Garry Scott
Director of Fair and Impartial Policing and Community Affairs
Vermont State Police
45 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671
C – 802-238-3042
The first forum will be on February 20th at 5:30 pm at Vermont Law School in South Royalton Vermont in the Oakes Hall classroom, #110. This is located in the main campus building of Vermont Law School. A campus map is attached.
Dr. Etan Nasreddin - Longo will be moderating each of these community conversations over the next few weeks. Etan is the Chair of the Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel, Co-Chair of the State Police’s Fair and Impartial Policing Committee as well as a Professor at Marlboro College.
Below is the agenda and timing for the event:
5:30 PM Event begins
The panelists for the event are as follows:
Bor Yang, Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission
Tabitha Pohl Moore, Rutland NAACP President
Mike Bensel, Executive Director of the Pride Center of Vermont
Rabbi Amy Small, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue
Julio Thompson, AGO Civil Rights Unit Director
David Cahill, Windsor County State's Attorney
Jules Torti, Assistant U.S. Attorney, VT U.S. Attorneys Office, Civil Rights Division
Lt. Garry Scott, Vermont State Police
*Curtis Reed, Executive Director, Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity (Unable to attend on the 20th, but invited for the following two forums)
*Representative of the Islamic Center of Vermont (invited)
Other dates:
March 13th, @5:30 pm Winooski Senior Center, Winooski VT
March 26th @5:30pm Mt. Anthony Union Middle School, Bennington VT
Event organizer is:
Natalie Silver
Community Outreach and Policy Coordinator
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
[email protected]
802 595 8679
We hope you can attend at least one of these events.
Lt. Garry Scott
Director of Fair and Impartial Policing and Community Affairs
Vermont State Police
45 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671
C – 802-238-3042
H.57: An act relating to preserving the right to abortion.
This bill proposes to recognize as a fundamental right the freedom of reproductive choice and to prohibit public entities from interfering with or restricting the right of an individual to terminate the individual's pregnancy.
On Wednesday, February 6, there is a Public Hearing on Bill H.57 at the State House from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. on the House floor.
This is a chance for citizens in support or opposition of the bill to speak directly with legislators.
Message from Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund and Women's March Vermont: Opposition individuals and groups will try to pack this event in order to intimidate and dissuade legislators from supporting this bill. Statewide supporters should come to this event to either share why this issue is important to them or just be present to show their support. Can you join us for this critical event to stand in solidarity for protecting abortion rights in Vermont Law?
Tell ICE to #FreeBeto
On December 31st, Cruz Alberto Sanchez-Perez, known to his friends as Beto, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a court appearance in Middlebury, VT. After spending New Year's Day in ICE custody, Beto was transferred to a detention center in New Hampshire where he is being held without bail. This Thursday, 1/24/2019, Beto is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge.
Beto is a leader within the LGBTQ immigrant farmworker community in Vermont. He came to the United States fleeing persecution based on his sexual orientation in his home country of Mexico. Beto has lived in Vermont for three years, working on dairy farms around the state and becoming involved in Migrant Justice, the Pride Center of Vermont, and other organizations. He has helped to lead a survey of fellow dairy workers on occupational health and safety risks, contributing valuable knowledge about a notoriously dangerous industry. Beto has also been involved in workshops on the needs of the community of LGBTQ immigrant farmworkers.
In December of 2018 Beto was arrested by local police and released with a summons to appear in court for driving under the influence. When he showed up for court, Immigration and Customs Enforcement were there waiting to arrest Beto, and he has been held without bail in federal immigration detention ever since. Beto should be afforded due process for his DUI charge, as any other Vermonter would, instead of being locked up without bail and facing impending deportation.
This Thursday we will have a chance to tell the immigration judge that Beto poses no threat and is in fact a much loved and integral part of his community, with strong ties in Vermont and beyond. We ask that he be granted bond and freed immediately so that he can return to his community and continue pursuing his case for asylum.
It's important that ICE hears from us before the court date. Take action now and send a letter to ICE to free Beto, so he can be released to his family and community in Vermont!