Lippert, Baker Trace Civil Union Debate

Author: Megan O'Keefe

As a part of Visibility Week, Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa) hosted a lecture entitled "Politicizing the Personal: Reflections on Civil Unions" in Robert A. Jones '59 Seminar Room on Wednesday, March 12.
The lecture drew on both the politically charged and deeply personal experiences of openly gay Vermont Representative Bill Lippert (D-Hinesburg) and Stan Baker, one of the plaintiffs who sued for the right to same-sex marriage in the Vermont State Supreme Court in 1997.
In the introduction to Lippert and Baker's talk, moqa members stressed the goals of Visibility Week. Moqa sought to use the week to educate on issues facing members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and queer (GBLTQ) community.
The political significance of civil unions and the groundbreaking actions of Lippert and Baker were initially hidden by the light-hearted connection struck between the audience and the two speakers. Stan Baker began the evening by displaying a photograph of himself and Peter Harrigan, his partner in civil union, which was taken on their wedding day. The photograph, set in a frame topped with little pairs of grooms, was displayed alongside Baker and Harrigan's wedding album.
Lippert soon added his own brand of humor to the evening. While being introduced and the lengthiness of the two men's extensive accomplishments mentioned as taking too much time to cover, Lippert interjected saying "We don't mind!" This sent the audience roaring into laughter.
Lippert and Baker soon turned their attention to the history of the Vermont crusade for civil unions, weaving their personal stories with the legal details. Baker, who spoke first, introduced himself as one of six plaintiffs who sued the state of Vermont in July 1997 for equal rights legislation for same-sex marriage.
The lawsuit grew out of the efforts of the Freedom to Marry Taskforce, a movement formed in Middlebury in the mid-1990s. The organization, according to Baker, "did much of the footwork for what was to become the civil union" in the years leading up to the Supreme Court case. Baker's involvement began when the Freedom to Marry Taskforce asked him to narrate in a video entitled "The Freedom to Marry: A Green Mountain View." Baker said, "That was actually that beginning of my thinking that, well, this is something that we can do. Marriage- what an interesting idea! I wonder if that could happen."
Once the Supreme Court case developed, Baker said, "Our role to a great degree was to put a human face on the Freedom to Marry movement and on the Supreme Court legislative initiative. 'It is much, much easier for people out there in the community to say 'I hate queers and fags,' than it is to say 'I hate Peter and Stan.' When you know someone, you know them as your neighbor, as friend, as your family member or as your colleague, it is much harder to push homophobia, because all of the sudden it is people you know," Baker said. Baker and Harrigan played a crucial role in humanizing the fight for gay marriage by displaying their love as a couple, revealing what their relationship meant and telling people what they hoped to gain through legal union. "For a lot of that time," Baker said, "our role was to go out and give speeches, meet people, be a couple and show them we were a part of the community."
Baker, who lived in Addison County when the suit was filed, described the overwhelming support of his neighbors. While he was initially fearful of the repercussions of becoming a plaintiff in the case, Baker said that he and Harrigan seemed to change people's minds person by person. They had a few frightening moments, but many more reassuring ones. The Supreme Court decision, known as "The Baker Decision," was delivered in December 1999, passing the marriage decision down to the Vermont Legislature.
Lippert, the only openly gay member of the Vermont Legislature, played an instrumental role in writing, debating, and passing the civil union law. He has been fighting for gay rights for over thirty years as a psychologist, activist and legislator (since 1994).
As the Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 2000, Lippert was in a key position to push equal marriage rights. Lippert told the audience that he intentionally vied for that position because he knew that, speaking from personal experience, he could make a real difference if he were actually at the table when changes were discussed. Lippert stressed that the movement was not a total victory in the legislature, but was the best compromise possible. While the Freedom to Marry movement began with the goal of marriage, gay activists and their allies accepted civil union instead.
The term "civil union" was coined in the legislature to give gay, lesbian and transgendered couples all of the rights granted to heterosexual couples through marriage. "We get everything under the law that a married couple could get," affirmed Lippert. Lippert's campaign was also extremely personal. He said, "I had the extraordinary personal experience to give a speech on the floor. It was probably for me the highpoint of my life, definitely my political life."
At this point, 800 Vermont couples have been joined in civil union, which is performed by a justice of the peace.
Baker and Harrigan were joined in civil union on Aug. 13, 2000 only a month and a half after civil unions were legalized by the Vermont Legislature.
Asked why civil unions were legalized first in Vermont, Baker said, "The privileges and the political powers of living in Vermont are unparalleled anywhere else in the United States. The distance between us and the governor is incredibly small. You can actually call the governor if you want. This, I think, is a powerful piece of why civil union succeeded here."