Green Mountain State Update
One ‘last big pull’
With a theme of “One Last Big Pull, The Work Rolls On,” Outright Vermont hosted its final annual Fire Truck Pull fundraiser and street party in Burlington.
Launched in 2005, the Fire Truck Pull (aka “the Pull”) began when Outright’s small staff team was eager to raise some funds and visibly claim youth space at the city’s downtown Church Street marketplace. Over the years, the impact reached far beyond the initial vision. Through enthusiastic participation and generous community support, the event consistently funded safe spaces, affirming programs and joyful experiences for LGBTQ+ youth.
“This final Fire Truck Pull represents not only a celebration of our history but also a deliberate and powerful shift toward deeper investments in youth programs and advocacy. We are committed to continuing our mission with fresh momentum and an even greater impact,” Outright Vermont Board Co-Chair Amanda Wong explains.
More: outrightvt.org
Public health data restored
The Vermont Medical Society and eight other organizations prevailed over the Trump administration in a legal battle over LGBTQ public health data, which the administration had deleted from federal websites.
In a settlement, the administration agreed to store the data online.
“The purge followed an anti-trans executive order signed by President Donald Trump that sought to ‘restore biological truth’ to government by removing all materials ‘that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology,’” according to Vermont Public, which went on to report, “Jessa Barnard, the medical society’s executive director, said the organization joined the lawsuit after hearing concerns from Vermont doctors and physicians assistants.”
‘We reached out to our members and asked, ‘Had it impacted them to have some of these websites taken down?’ And we heard back very clearly that it was having an impact,” said Bernard, who called the settlement “a great outcome.”
Reversed Decision
A federal appeals court ruled in favor of Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS), which had violated the state Principals’ Association antidiscrimination and gender identity policies when it refused to allow its girls basketball team to play against another team with a transgender player.
Back in 2023, MVCS’s girls high-school basketball team gave up a chance to compete in a Division 4 state championship tournament when their team refused to play against the transgender player on another team. The Vermont Principals’ Association, which governs that state’s school sports rules, barred the MVCS team from playing in future games.
A year later, the Alliance Defending Freedom, a powerful, Arizona-based Christian law firm, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of MVCS, seeking reinstatement. A district court judge denied the request in June 2024.
At that time, the Vermont Principals’ Association, which governs that state’s school sports rules, reaffirmed in a statement “its ongoing support of transgender student-athletes as not only a part of building an inclusive community for each student to grow and thrive, but also as a clear expectation by Vermont state law(s) in the Agency of Education Best Practices, and in VPA Policy regarding transgender student athletes.”
However a judge in the district appeals court reversed the decision in September 2025, finding that the exclusion “was not neutral because it displayed hostility toward the school’s religious beliefs.”
Pride Center temporarily closes
The Pride Center of Vermont announced it must pause operations due to “critical funding shortfalls,” according to an Oct. 9 press release from its board of directors.
For over 25 years, the Center has offered HIV prevention and testing, LGBTQ+ resources, peer-led support groups, crisis response and community-building events to thousands of Vermonters annually.
“Like many 2STLGBQIA+ organizations across the country, we have been hit hard by a wave of funding losses and shifting priorities at the state and federal level,” the board said. “These changes have made it increasingly difficult for community-based nonprofits like ours to keep doing the work we love, even as more people than ever are turning to us for support.”
In order to continue operating, the Pride Center needs to raise approximately $350K to return to full services and support our staff. Donations can be made at pridecentervt.org/#donate.
