By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — To celebrate Tuesday’s National Coming Out Day, the Springfield Town Library, in conjunction with VINE Sanctuary, will be hosting a Speak Out event. The Speak Out will be held at the Comtu Cascade Park at 5 PM.
National Coming Out Day began, according to Dictionary.com, in 1988. The event, which falls on October 11 every year, was started by activists Richard Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. They reportedly chose this date to honor the anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, a 1987 event seen as a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
According to a founder of VINE Sanctuary, Coordinator pattrice jones, the idea for Tuesday’s event sparked from a conversation with an individual who grew up in the area. “I was having a conversation with someone who grew up in our region, and she mentioned she grew up never knowing an LGBTQ+ adult,” stated jones over the phone. “This led her to feel isolated, without role models, and without the knowledge that she can have a wonderful life as an LGBTQ+ person.” This led jones to think of the popular Speak Out events of the 1990s, something they described as, “an old school LGBTQ+ event.” They said, “It occurred to me that something like Speak Out would be lovely and really useful in our community.”
At this time, VINE, which is described as an LGBTQ+ led farm and animal sanctuary, reached out to the town’s library, a frequent event collaborator, due to its history of affirming LGBTQ+ folks. “The idea was to have an opportunity for folks to come out if they wanted to, to commiserate and hang out together. To be an ally, to show solidarity and support folks,” said Springfield’s Youth Services Librarian Michelle Stinson.
Stinson stated that the event will provide an opportunity for the Springfield community to speak and tell their stories, as well as chat with others at the event. Speaking at the event will basically be done over an open mic, as a way to provide an open space for the community’s voices. “We decided we wanted it to be an open thing,” said Stinson over the phone on Monday. “There will be no direct speaker. It will be open for people who feel comfortable to tell their story.” jones reiterated this sentiment, saying that the event will provide an opportunity for anyone interested in saying even just a few words to take the mic, whether they are coming out, telling stories of when they came out, or even for straight folks looking to show their support for the LGBTQ+ people in their lives. People can also go to the event just to observe, mingle, and show their support.
Aside from those who choose to speak, there will also be many LGBTQ+ organizations at the Speak Out with booths providing resources to those in attendance. Included will be several local organizations from Vermont, as well as a couple national ones with resources and printed materials. “We have a teen advisory board who decided they would like to have a table at the Speak Out event where folks can make buttons and kindness cards. They will be providing some material on what it’s like to be an ally,” said Stinson.
In regards to the impact an event like this can have on the greater Springfield community, Stinson stated, “I think any, and every event, in Springfield that includes solidarity and the ability to support one another, come together, is an excellent opportunity for the youth and community.” For jones, the hope that if this event makes even one young person feel more accepted is enough to be excited. “I’m excited to see what’s going to happen,” they said. “We haven’t done something like this in Springfield, no idea how many will show up. I think it’ll be great even if nobody shows up, it’ll be good for people just to hear this happened in the community.”
Another note jones touched on is this past January’s “Declaration of Inclusion” by the Springfield Selectboard. Springfield, Vermont’s website states, “On January 4, 2022, the Selectboard adopted a Declaration of Inclusion (DOI) that officially announces that all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, and disability are welcome in Springfield.” The VINE Coordinator stated, “I think that this puts an exclamation point on that, and it helps the community as a whole live up to this intent.”
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