Updated on May 26, 2021 at 6:36 pm
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Ahead of June s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, community members in Rutland, Vermont, are sending a message that all are welcome in their city. I think it s going to make Rutland a better place, predicted Karly Haven of the nonprofit group Queer Connect Rutland, which is one of the grassroots organizations working to create a Pride celebration for June in Rutland. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.
According to several community leaders in Rutland NECN spoke with, as well as the Pride Center of Vermont, the upcoming Pride observances are believed to be the first for Rutland.
A growing list of Vermont communities are adopting a new pledge that condemns racism and sends a message that they welcome all people.The city of Rutland joined the list this week, when its Board of Aldermen approved the Declaration of Inclusion in a unanimous vote.“I hope this sends a clear message to the community, to the rest of the state, and really to the country that Rutland is a place that is welcoming of everyone,” said Thomas Franco, a member of the Rutland Board of Aldermen. “No matter your race, your age, your sexual orientation, or gender identity, your disability status that you belong here and that we welcome you.”Franco formally signed his name to the newly adopted document Wednesday, along those of his colleagues.The towns of Pittsford, Pittsfield, Franklin, Brandon, Waterbury, Middlebury and the village of Woodstock have similarly embraced the declaration, according to Al Wakefield, one of the members of a group promoting greater adoption of the Declara
Franco formally signed his name to the newly adopted document Wednesday, along those of his colleagues.
The towns of Pittsford, Pittsfield, Franklin, Brandon, Waterbury, Middlebury and the village of Woodstock have similarly embraced the declaration, according to Al Wakefield, one of the members of a group promoting greater adoption of the Declaration of Inclusion.
“Our vision is that the Declaration of Inclusion is really a challenge to move Rutland forward, to embrace and promote change, to put in motion plans and strategies which could be the model for what the future looks like as opposed to a memory of a past that lingers on,” Wakefield said Monday night in comments ahead of the supportive vote from the Board of Aldermen.
Thomas Franco was an aspiring doctor when he realized that his real passion was policy. While a premed student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, Franco volunteered at a free health clinic outside of Cleveland. Talking to the patients helped him recognize the societal inequities that lead to poverty and, in turn, poor health outcomes. It was just like this moment where I realized,
OK, if I m going to make a difference, and I am going to change the narrative here, I have to dig deeper, Franco said. That change in direction ultimately helped lead 25-year-old Franco to Rutland, where he lives with his partner, George Hodulik. A first-time candidate, Franco is one of 17 people including three incumbents running for six at-large seats on the city s board of aldermen.
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Vermont Legislators are proposing and committees are reviewing bills with a focus on the budget and the impact of the pandemic. Numerous groups including the House Progressive Caucus are lobbying legislators in a virtual world to address their priorities.
The House Progressive Caucus recently outlined its priorities for the biennium, focused on equity in policy and response to the pandemic. Caucus chair Selene Colburn of Burlington says all their priorities have a common theme as the pandemic amplifies societal inequities. “While we as a caucus believe we need to be thoughtful we also believe now is not the time for holding back on addressing the roots of these inequities. The legislature must support bold transformative policies to make change rather than try to restore a status quo that left so many Vermonters behind. We can’t hesitate to do too much because of the pandemic. The pandemic asks us to step up and do more in this moment not less. The Vermont Progressiv