Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 02:39:12 GMT
Subject: BURLINGTON RALLIES FOR CROSSDRESSING TEEN
From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)

MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
CONTACT: Riki Anne Wilchins 
(212)645-1753, GPac@Gpac.Org 
 
 
BURLINGTON RALLIES FOR CROSSDRESSING TEEN 
========================================= 
 
[Burlington, VT - October 5, 1996]  AS DOZENS  
OF LOCAL supporters sprawled across the green  
lawn, a procession of speakers mounted the  
front steps of the downtown Unitarian  
Universalist Church today to voice their fervent  
support and concern for suspended crossdressing  
teen Matthew Stickney.  
 
       Posters declaring "Support Our GenderQueer  
Youth," "Freedom of Gender Expression!" and  
"Liberty, Freedom, & Pleats" framed the church  
doors.  During the event demonstrators handed  
out hundreds of fliers to the amused and often  
supportive local crowds enjoying a last warm  
Saturday afternoon in this normally quiet ] 
New England town.  
 
	Stickney, who identifies variously as gay,  
drag, and crossdressing, was suspended from  
Burlington H.S. September 9th when he wore a  
dress to class. He stated it was his way of  
showing pride in his identity.  But after he  
was verbally assaulted by other students, the  
principal claimed it was Stickney who was  
"creating a disturbance," and demanded he  
change his attire.  A series of confrontations  
then ensued, which led to Stickney's  
suspension.   
 
	The case quickly attracted a barrage of  
national media attention as one of a growing  
number incidents involving transgender and  
genderqueer gay youth. Stickney responded by  
going into hiding.  He has not returned to  
school or appeared in public since, and at the  
rally it was two of his high school friends who  
spoke on his behalf and took a black Menace T- 
shirt for him as a keepsake. 
 
	Said Jane Ellen Fairfax of Tri-S, the  
nation's largest crossdressing organization and  
a rally sponsor, "This is not about one high  
school student, but about *everyone's* basic  
right to express gender without the fear of  
harassment, hate-speech, or punishment.   
Whether you are straight or gay makes no  
difference: wearing a dress is not grounds for  
intolerance or bigotry." 
 
	The event was organized by Jess Bell  
(Transexual Menace Vermont), Nancy Nangeroni  
(Transexual Menace Boston), and Riki Anne  
Wilchins (Transexual Menace NYC) and attracted  
sponsorship from a broad spectrum of local  
groups including the Burlington Women's  
Council, Outright Vermont, Bi-Net Vermont, the  
Vermont Coalition for Gay & Lesbian Rights, the  
Peace & Justice Center, and Vermont's queer  
newspaper "Out in the Mountains."  both local  
television stations sent camera crews to conduct  
interviews. 
 
      Adding to the rally's flavor, the local  
Ben & Jerry's provided scores of free ice-cream  
coupons to event attendees. 
                  ### 
 
(c) 1996 InYourFace 
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