Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, in partnership with Vermont Public.
It’s Pride month, and across the country lawmakers continue to put forward anti-LGBTQ rights legislation. In fact, Vermont is the only state that hasn’t introduced any bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ people this year, according to the ACLU.
Still, members of Vermont’s queer community say spaces that are just for them feel especially important right now. And in Burlington, volunteer-run pop-up events like Dyke Night and Queer Country Line Dance are making that space.
🎧 This story was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript below.
Rebecca Sullivan: Queer Country Line Dance has been happening regularly in Burlington for a little more than a year. It’s put on by two friends, CG Kelly and Grace Palmer.
It started as a birthday party and grew into a community event. Here’s Kelly.
CG Kelly: Line dance is a themed event where you get to wear a fun outfit, and a place to learn something new, and primarily and most importantly, a place to be silly and fun and vulnerable with your friends.
Rebecca Sullivan: Grace Palmer says people are showing up.
Grace Palmer: And I think having it be a queer space feels important. I think it fills a need in Burlington.
Rebecca Sullivan: Queer Country Line Dance is expanding outside of Burlington. Kelly and Palmer recently hosted a dance in Barre, and they’re planning to go to more Vermont towns this summer.
They’ve also been partnering with other Vermont LGBTQ+ groups, like Dyke Night.
Dyke Night is a monthly social event series. It’s run by volunteers like Ashlen Taylor, who says their mission is..
Ashlen Taylor: …creating spaces where trans people, non-binary people, gender-free people who identify with the ‘dyke’ label are able to feel good about themselves and feel safe.
Rebecca Sullivan: At a recent event at the Burlington bar The Wallflower Collective, I asked attendees what the term ‘dyke’ means to them.
Morgan Vespa: ‘Dyke’ means freedom. Like, mutual love and mutual respect. It means experimentation. It means a love for, like, sapphic expression.
Ally Shepherd: ‘Dyke’ really means someone who is very in touch with their sexuality, and just wants to express themselves in the way that they want to. It definitely has a negative connotation sometimes, but I like that we’re reclaiming it and making it our own here tonight.
Marti Raineri: I feel like us using the word has some resistance to it, like a political statement that needs to be made during these times. So yeah, dykes are still here.
Rebecca Sullivan: That was Morgan Vespa, Ally Shepherd and Marti Raineri.
Dyke Nite has been around for three years.
In February, Ashlen Taylor and Morgan Vespa stepped up as new leaders.
Ashlen Taylor: …because we want there to be more local queer solidarity in Burlington. Because it’s something we really need right now.
Morgan Vespa: That’s kind of my life’s purpose is to build community. And like, as a dyke who came out much later in life, it’s really cool to like, be a part of it.
Rebecca Sullivan: Taylor and Vespa say they want to make Dyke Night events as inclusive as possible — not everyone can hang out at a bar.
Recently, their all-ages movie nights at Fletcher Free Library have been a big hit.
Austin Grant: Hi, I’m Austin…
Austin Grant works with Queer Vermont and the Pride Center of Vermont — organizations that host and advertise a lot of queer events across the state.
There’s yoga classes, hikes, support groups, religious services, potlucks and art shows.
Austin Grant: And we did a snowshoeing day in the winter. We do an annual beach takeover which is really popular.
Grant says queer spaces allow people to feel fully seen, and safe and celebrated — without the need to explain themselves.
Austin Grant: I really believe that queer spaces are important at this time, more than ever, to allow people to establish connections, networks and support systems.
Rebecca Sullivan: CG Kelly and Grace Palmer agree.
CG Kelly: Being able to be myself and be, like, a full version of myself, and dress the way that I want, and behave the way that I want, and be seen as, like, a full human person, is important.
Grace Palmer: I’m so struck at every event by how much I see everyone out in the crowd smiling and laughing.
Rebecca Sullivan: In times of uncertainty, these Vermonters say it’s vital to prioritize community and celebrate queer joy.