Sign in Welcome! Log into your account your username your password Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password your email A password will be e-mailed to you. HomeHealthRutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time - vtdigger.org HealthLGBT Health Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org By News Editor May 30, 2021 0 33 Share FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp RUTLAND — The “I Love Rutland” logo has decorated car bumpers, water bottles and lawn signs for several years, but a new version of the logo, unveiled this week, makes a statement many haven’t seen in the city before. Lampposts in the center of downtown have donned a new version of the logo. It replaces the red heart with a heart featuring a Progress-Pride flag — a more colorful version of the rainbow flag that includes people of color and those who are transgender. Beneath the logo is a new slogan: “All Are Welcome Here.” For the first time, Rutland is celebrating Pride, an event held around the country every June that recognizes the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, plus) community. 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Vermont Department of Health found that 14% of high school students identify as LGBT in Vermont, and significant disparities exist between heterosexual, cisgender students and those who don’t identify that way. In 2019, LGBT high school students across the state were more likely to report being in a physical fight, twice as likely to experience bullying, more likely to be threatened with a weapon or carry one, more likely to skip school, much more likely to experience unwanted sexual contact and 2.5 times more likely to feel so sad or hopeless that they stop activities. They were four times as likely to have made a suicide plan and to have hurt themselves intentionally in 2019. Provin said he’s received messages from LGBTQIA+ youth around the state who have asked for advice. “To get those messages was pretty heartbreaking because I didn’t know what to tell them,” he said. “I personally escaped because I wanted a queer life, and for a queer youth to reach out to me and ask what to do — it was like, how am I in the position to say what to do when I personally escaped what they’re going through? That’s another reason why I did this campaign.” New people to Rutland Provin recently reached out to Steve Costello, a co-founder of the “I Love Rutland” marketing campaign, which aimed to counter negative media attention about the city. The original campaign, he said, “boiled down to us feeling like we were in a position to help better highlight some of the positive things happening in Rutland that weren’t necessarily being highlighted in any way.” Costello, also vice president of customer care at Green Mountain Power and chairman of Rutland’s Regional Marketing Committee, said the new version fits with the original mission. “The whole focus is on trying to bring new people to Rutland,” he said. “We should be welcoming to everyone.” declaration of inclusion, which “condemns racism and discrimination of any type and welcomes all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.” On May 17, Rutland alderman Thomas Franco, citing the Department of Health study, proposed that the city explore avenues for supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Board members voted unanimously to have the Community and Economic Development Committee consider the idea. Franco is, to his understanding, the first openly gay person to serve on the Board of Alderman. “I take that really seriously,” he said. “I think it’s important to uplift the community as much as possible because I don’t want to be the last.” His partner, George Hodulik, grew up in Rutland County and faced his own set of challenges when he came out. Hodulik, too, is calling for “all community leaders to be vehemently, unequivocally and outspokenly inclusive.” “I was never beaten up by my peers,” Hodulik said. “I don’t recall a time where I was called a slur. It was really these authority figures who were so concerned for what this would mean for me, they actually were really perpetuating that sort of trouble.” ‘Seeing someone like me’ Franco, Hodulik and Povin say they’re focused on prioritizing the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people and conversations in Rutland. Franco said that’s particularly important for youth. “Seeing someone like me in an official capacity talking about these things in a positive way, I hope will make all the difference for them and feeling like they have a place here,” he said. “Like they don’t have to leave to Boston, or whatever part of the country, to feel included. That they can be themselves right here at home.” While, so far, the Board of Aldermen appears to support Franco’s initiatives, the group also wants to see Mayor Dave Allaire back up the movement as a whole. Allaire said Rutland tends to get “a bad rap” because of controversies that developed during the past several years, but said the city “is an open and welcoming place” and always has been. “I can tell you that, from my experience, we welcome folks into our community — doesn’t matter the color of their skin or their belief system or anything from their background,” he said. “We are open, and we want to tell the world that story. I very much believe in that, and I want to help out the folks that are trying to tell that story, too.” He said he’s met several times with Franco and hopes to meet one-on-one with Provin soon. “There are certain things I’m sure that the mayor’s office can do to help out on top of all the other things that we have to do in the course of a day, too,” Allaire said. heated debate about whether to change the Rutland High School mascot over its racist origins continues, though the school board already voted for the change. City officials argued over whether to condemn Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol and whether to implement implicit bias training for city employees. Before that, residents argued about whether the city should host Syrian refugees. State Sen. Cheryl Hooker, D/P-Rutland, has been involved in state and city politics since the 1990s, and she traces the divide back to one historical moment: Vermont’s decision to introduce civil unions. The city leaned politically Democratic until a number of legislators lost their seats, she said. Of five state representatives from the city — including Hooker, who had been appointed to replace a representative who stepped down, and has since been elected to the Senate — “the other four were all defeated because of civil union,” she said. “So that was the divide. It was pretty stark.” Hooker said, at the time, some expressed fears that Vermont would become a “hub” for people who sought same-sex rights. “I don’t know what they were afraid of,” she said, later adding, “this was all emerging back then.” To her, the “All Are Welcome Here” campaign — albeit two decades later — “confirms that fears were unfounded.” She’s happy to see a more accepting culture but said the persistent divides are evidence that the city has more work to do. “The fact that we have young people now who are willing to speak out and are taking a lead on these important issues is a lot different I think than it was 21 years ago,” she said. Franco said he believes the city is changing. Pushback, he said, comes from “voices in power that have held on to power for a long time, and I think that’s coming to a pivot point.” “I think a lot of this stuff that’s happening is just the reckoning between those two things, right?” he said. “The folks who have been part of the past and are looking to the future and feeling a bit uncertain, and the people who are just ready to turn the page.” Share FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp Previous articleThis Is the 350-Calorie Breakfast I’ve Eaten For 2 Months That Helped Me Lose 8 Pounds – POPSUGARNext articleGay circuit party founder Jeffrey Sanker dies after long battle with liver cancer – Yahoo Eurosport UK News Editor RELATED ARTICLES Health What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Testing Among LGBTQ+ Populations; Deaths in the Unvaccinated; EUA for COVID-19 Drug – AJMC.com Managed Markets Network June 25, 2021 Health Health Ministry: Indoor mask mandate to be reinstated today at 12:00 pm – The Jerusalem Post June 25, 2021 Health Tel Aviv Pride Parade returns with fanfare after last year’s COVID cancellation – The Times of Israel June 25, 2021 Most Popular 2021 Pride Month: most inclusive ads and campaigns – AdAge.com June 30, 2021 What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Testing Among LGBTQ+ Populations; Deaths in the Unvaccinated; EUA for COVID-19 Drug – AJMC.com Managed Markets Network June 25, 2021 3 Newer Gay Bars in Denver to Check Out This Weekend – 303 Magazine June 25, 2021 US, Western Embassies Fly Gay Pride Flags in Moscow – The Moscow Times June 25, 2021 Load more Recent Comments Naomi Stapp on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org tu vuong on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org debbie lawson on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Abida Ahmed on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Cj Hernandez on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Janae Pagaduan on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Daisy Belcher on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Aleean Armstrong on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Jasmin Babbitt on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Thao Nguyễn on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org 谭歆 on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Jose Gonzalez on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Music and more on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Stephanie Rhodes on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Stephanie Rhodes on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org imanmegatron@gmail.com on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Aufa Diyanah on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Purple Rose Bud1123 on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Abbie Craig on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org Abbie Craig on Rutland City will celebrate Pride for the first time – vtdigger.org pacomonkey007 on nickrod32 on Kate on Gabriel Jimenez on Boris Dorofeev on AlexanderCostan on Gouki249 on Michael Schaper on Supertomiman on Robert Johns on heyayup on J.N Turner on Cassandra Sainvilus on mistermiah21 on AL T on Stjepan Vončina on Alesandros356 on Μαριος Κοσκολος on Kikoushinzen on Chanti Allen on askvir2 on PR3DA7EUR on mikkita88 on Shanoriya Robinson on hightune21 on s0medudeonline on Ryan Wright on Imcia Rens on Garchomp Pit on Kai Laa on king vapor on king vapor on barosan jupan on camaflauge on Omar Doleymi on JawNas1 on Ibraheem Mansour on SuperAceone on James Darwin on toomuchdingding on lanciauxrayz on curioussebastian on Iman Farahin on Samhain entertainment on longsweep1 on SuperCaffeinelover on Rin Lee on Samhain entertainment on banglawaz0 on banglawaz0 on Chope89 on nikos sicks on ForZaSLaN1905 on Kieran Murphy on Brian Sirovey on Enrico Baratelli on Kenn Zesky on Synthiotics on ROGAN on DJVM95 on Corie Jacobs on 久登 寺島 on Jakob Vlietstra on shook one on shook one on Zeracan on jarjarbinx79 on keefkeef chiefchief on WolfgangSenske on Pieceofshit19 on numbstateofennui on The Real Witches on Tribble Booth on Greg Blackman on Emily Fravel on Daniel Baker on Ahimsa Porter Sumchai MD on Eden Brown on johnboysssss on CeeJayDee94 on TheGoodNews01 on jpalberthoward9 on lakecrab on jpalberthoward9 on lakecrab on jpalberthoward9 on jpalberthoward9 on jpalberthoward9 on liffeybeat on Chad Premo on Michael E. 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<p/>Banners with the new “I Love Rutland” logo were mounted to lampposts this week. Photo by Emma Cotton/VTDigger ” data-medium-file=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-300×201.jpeg” data-large-file=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-610×408.jpeg” width=”2560″ height=”1714″ src=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-scaled.jpeg” alt=”Banner with the new "I Love Rutland" logo on a lampposts in Rutland.” class=”wp-image-364208″ srcset=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-300×201.jpeg 300w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-610×408.jpeg 610w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-125×84.jpeg 125w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-768×514.jpeg 768w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-1536×1028.jpeg 1536w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/I-Love-Rutland-w_-city-sign-2048×1371.jpeg 2048w” sizes=”(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px”></noscript><img data-attachment-id=)
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<p/>Jeannette Langston, founder of Social Tinkering, helped organize the Pride campaign. Photo by Emma Cotton/VTDigger ” data-medium-file=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-225×300.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-610×813.jpg” width=”225″ height=”300″ src=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-225×300.jpg” alt=”Jeannette Langston is pictured in downtown Rutland below an "I Love Rutland" Pride banner.” class=”wp-image-364209″ srcset=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-225×300.jpg 225w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-610×813.jpg 610w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-94×125.jpg 94w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-768×1024.jpg 768w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-1152×1536.jpg 1152w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-1536×2048.jpg 1536w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jeannette-Langston_Social-Tinkering-scaled.jpg 1920w” sizes=”(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px”></noscript><img data-attachment-id=)
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