Newspaper Page Text
Kowalski to be Retested
for Competency
Milaca, A/V-Sharon Kowalski, a disabled
Minnesota lesbian who has been kept apart
from her lover for three years by her father,
completed a five-day competency test last
month. Results of the court-ordered test are to
be submitted in mid-October.
Kowalski, who was disabled after a
November 1983 automobile accident, was
declared incompetent and kept from her lover,
Karen Thompson, after Kowalski's parents
learned the nature of the women's
relationship. Kowalski and Thompson had
been lovers for four years at the time of the
accident.
Thompson has been fighting a legal battle
with Donald Kowalski, Sharon's father, in an
attempt to have Sharon's decision-making
powers returned to her. Thompson says that
Sharon will choose to be returned to her care
if given the chance to make her own decision.
A judge ruled that Sharon was to be
retested for competency beginning September
12th. The court also ruled that if doctors
deemed it necessary, Sharon's parents could
not prevent Thompson from being present for
the test. However, the doctors did not call
Thompson in for the test
Discharged Gay Sgt.
Back in Federal Court
San Francisco-The U.S. Court of Appeals
began hearing arguments October 12th in the
case of dismissed Army SSgL Perry Watkins,
the leading case challenging the Army's
exclusion of gays and lesbians.
American Civil Liberties Union lawyers
are representing Watkins, who was drafted
into the Army in 1967, served for 14 years
compiling an outstanding service record and
re-enlisted three times without objection from
the Army. Watkins was dischaiged in 1981
when new Army regulations required that
gays and lesbians be denied reenlistment
Another federal court decision in the case
is expected in 1989 and the case will then
most likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court A
San Francisco federal court ruled last year that
gays and lesbians were a "suspect class" and
that the Army's reasons for excluding gays
and lesbians were invalid.
Congress Votes For
Discrimination in
Religious Schools
Washingwn-in the mad rush to approve a
budget the U.S. Congress dredged up a long •
resolved controversy and urged the District of
Columbia to permit religious schools to
discriminate against gays and lesbians.
Georgetown University, a Roman Catholic
school had reached an agreement with its gay
and lesbian group following a bitter court
battle. School officials had said they could
not afford the group any support because of
their religious beliefs. But a District of
Columbia Superior Court and the city's
human rights commission ruled Georgetown
was illegally discriminating against gays.
An agreement was reached in March
whereby the group was allowed to meet and
given access to student government funds,
and allowing the school not to endorse the
lifestyle of its members. Now the Congress,
which by law has to approve the budget of the
District of Columbia, attached the so-called
Armstrong amendmeni named after its
author, a Republican Senator from Colorado.
The amendment required D.C. to allow
Georgetown to go back on its agreement and
discriminate against gays and lesbians. The
bill also included a measure offered by Rep.
Robert Doman, (R.-Calif.) which severely
restricts abortion rights.
District of Columbia officials angrily
accused the Congress of intruding in local
affairs and threatened to disobey the order. If
D.C. disobeys, the bill calls for a freeze in
funding which could paralyze Washington,
D.C. -F.G.
thirtysomething
to have gay character
Los Angeles-ABCs Emmy-winning
thirtysomething will be introducing prime
time television's third openly gay character
this fall. The character, a male, will be
brought onto the show as someone Melissa
(Melanie Mayron) meets in her photography
business.
"We have strong interest in people of all
different circumstances," said Marshall
Herskovitz, the show's executive producer.
"He’ll have relationships. It would be
ridiculous to introduce a character and be
afraid to explore any aspect of his life."
The other gay characters reDresented on
prime time television are also on ABC shows:
a gay male on Hooperman and a lesbian on
HeartBeat.
Bush Seeks Texas
Homophobic Vote
C/uctfgo-Vice-President George Bush said in
a brochure sent to 300,000 rural and small
town Texans that Michael Dukakis would
"give gays and lesbians special privileges
under the Civil Rights Aci" the Chicago
Tribune reported September 14th.
The brochure, which was intended to
continue the "pledge of allegiance"
controversy, appeared to be an attempt by
Bush to appeal to homophobic voters in the
politically important state of Texas. The
brochure seemed to continue the homophobic
appeal begun by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
early last month when he called the
Democrats, "the party of homosexuals."
Famous Faces
Louganis To Splash on Screen
Greg Louganis-more than a famous face-is now ready to turn his attention to
acting. After his spectacular double-gold performance in the Seoul Olympics,
Louganis says he wants to focus his energy and talents towards TV, movies, and
perhaps a little musical theatre. Louganis, who has worked for, among other causes,
AIDS education, says he doesn't want any "tough-guy" roles if he makes it on the
screen. Instead, he would prefer roles like those his hero, Alan Alda, has played.
Biondi Heads for the Mountains
If you want a close look at Olympic swimmer Matt Biondi, you'll have to
search for a backpacker wandering through the national paries. The 22-year-old
Californian says he won't follow in the footsteps of Mark Spitz, the medalist who in
the 1970s could be found posing for posters in a bathing suit. Biondi says he’s not
comfortable "on somebody's wall", and wants to take some time for hiking, water
polo, and then a career as an environmental spokesman.
Many More Made Waves...and the Yows
Out of the pool no one made more waves than Carl Lewis, except perhaps, Ben
Johnson. Most people agreed, Lewis is great, but observers complained, he acts like
he knows it. Lewis received two gold and one silver in Seoul. The second gold came
after muscleman Ben Johnson was disqualified for testing positive for steroids. With
all the medals awarded, the jury's still out on who made the deepest impression
among the American women in Seoul. A heavy favorite is Michelle Mitchell, winner
of a silver medal in Platform diving. On the track, it's a dead heat, with the scorching
performances of Evelyn Ashford, Florence Griffith Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
When it came to team sports, however, the call is easier.
The gold medal went to the U.S. women's basketball team with special marks for
Coach Kay Yow and her assistants, particularly the coach's sister Susan Yow.
(Yow!)
-F. G.
Page 2