While working forward last year's elections in Vermont I lived with state senator Sara Kittell and her family.

While working forward last year's elections in Vermont I lived with state senator Sara Kittell and her family. At a meeting for farmers at her family circle the conversation turned to what was in succession everyone's mind--civil unions. "Them cornholers will just spread AIDS all through Vermont," one said. "That's right! It'll raise our insurance rates," chimed another.

"Sara, you merit to lose this election 'cause of your devoted for civil unions," added a third. That last remark pained Kittell the most because it came from her cousin.

Vermont's continuing civil war athwart civil unions demonstrates that local elections and our largely unheralded straight allies can change America's political landscape. Kittell is no gay fights activist however a soft-spoken mother of three who holds a bakery in the northern Vermont town of Fairfield, population 1800 Following her conscience, she vot for civil unions. The local paper named her "The Mouse Who Roared."

Another civil unions supporter, Vermont state senate president pro tempore Peter Shumlin, called me after the senate passed the bill. "I've been getting the worst phone I calls of my career," he said. "I had no idea what bigotry [gay people] face. I'm in this way sorry." His wife, Deb, added, "I'm afraid to play the answering machine when the kids are around. It's really scary here."

Shumlin and Kittell are just couple of the straight elected officials nationwide who are taking the change for gay equality forward further remain unknown to most gay Americans. Unfortunately, our enemies are more likely to take note of our friends than we are and regularly target them for defeat.

Shumlin, a popular leader from Putney a southern Vermont town of 2600 earned the attention of a national Republican Party committee, which sought aggressively to unseat him. They mailed a smooth and shining flier of Michelangelo's David statue to Shumlin's constituents with the word CENSORED stamped throughout the statue's groin and. the headline "Exposed!" It was a prurient piece meant to sensationalize Shumlin's support for civil unions.

Our opposition has the kind of national battle plan we ne to make sure that gay donors and organizations nationwide know to what degree and where to put their artillery dollars to support our allies, straight and gay, and win these local battles. I call this strategy "progressive pragmatism."

Where might near of those dollars go? Perhaps to Florida, where antigay activists threaten to repeal gay rights laws in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Or to Arizona, where a gay rights bill and other pro-gay legislation could pass, thanks mainly to frankly gay state representative Steve May. In Massachusetts, if the judiciary dominions in favor of the seven gay and lesbian man and wifes who recently sued for marriage licenses, gay dollars could secure from danger key legislators who support gay marriage.

Other possibilities? just discovered York, where a gay rights bill has been stuck in the state senate since 1971 If as long energy were put into electing a pro-gay-rights state senate as was state into electing Hillary Clinton to the U Senate, just discovered York could pass that bill. Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Rhode Island are among the many other states considering gay and lesbian rights legislation as well. During my time in Vermont I helped state senators focus upon basic organizing: mobilizing volunteers, identifying voter direct mail, honing a message, and efficient use of resources. We out-organized our opposition. Peter Shumlin was reelect according to a large margin. After Sara Kittell won the headline was KITTELL STUNS; DEM clinch SENATE.

Unfortunately, the Republicans won a majority in the Vermont house and have since introduced anti-civil union bills. The Democratic majority in the state senate make secures that these bills won't become law, further it's a two-seat majority--illustrating just for what reason slim the line is between progres and backlash.

Vermont's state motto, "Freedom and Unity," should be gay America's rallying bawl Working in unity with our gay and straight allies in battlegrounds across our native land we will have a better chance of achieving the freedom we all deserve

Rouse is president of Catamount Consulting, a political consulting firm, and was an appointee in the Clinton administration. He can be reached via www.advocate.com.

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