For those alumni who were here during the mid-90's, you might remember David Zuckerman as someone who was involved in a number of issues on campus. He was a leader fighting the shuttle buses (the thinking being that able folks could actually walk across campus), he helped organize Earth Day, he protested against the first Iraq war, and was he involved in other social justice issues on campus. He first ran for the legislature as a student in 1994, narrowly missing a seat by 59 votes. In 1996 he was elected, and he has been re-elected six times since. He is now one of the 20 most senior members of the 150 person chamber. Over the years he has led the way on a number of issues including opposition to genetic engineering in food, implementation of Vermont's medical marijuana law, increases to the minimum wage, including indexing it to increase every year automatically, end of life choices, anti-war resolutions, progressive taxation, green energy legislation, and throughout he has been a leader on marriage equality for the LGBT community.
In 2000 when Vermont passed the first in the nation Civil Union law, it was Rep. Zuckerman and 21 of his colleagues who stood up for full marriage equality. At that time David knew that while a civil union was a great step forward towards equality, it was still, "separate and therefore inherently unequal. We could not quantify the exact areas where the inequality would be realized, but after eight years it is clear in many facets of daily life for members of the community." This includes employer benefits for people living in Vermont, but working in New York, as well as 1400 legal and tax implications under federal law.
Says David, "In 2000 we were told that the sky would fall and everything people knew about Vermont would change radically. We knew then, and it has proven to be, that none of the negative predictions were fulfilled. In fact, the only change that occurred was that many members of the community who felt excluded by our laws, could now both feel and be legally recognized by our society. Now, it is time to finish the job and make that recognition fully equal." Rep. Zuckerman led the way with fellow Burlington Rep. Larson to garner the signatures of 57 of their colleagues in support of full marriage equality.
Rep. Zuckerman is "very proud of the work that so many Vermonters have done over the years to make this possible. My work as a Representative was just that, I was working hard to reflect the will of the people of Burlington, specifically those in the University area which I represent. I feel honored to have been able to be a part of this push through history. I find it hard to imagine that there will be any other votes that I will cast that have a more profound impact on human rights. This is a part of economic justice. If we can get that and universal healthcare, that would really alter our community for the best as well."
And on the day the final votes were cast, in a strange twist of events, as a "Zuckerman," he got to cast the 100th vote to defeat the governor's veto. Says David, "That was pretty cool and I will remember that for a long time!"
When not busy in Vermont's political world, David and his wife Rachel Nevitt and their three-year old daughter are busy running their 150 acre organic farm.
