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SOUTHERN AIDS and Insurance Discrimination at work in Georgia See Page 11 Vol. 2, No. 1 Taking Pride in Our Culture March 2,1989 Fulton County Court Upholds PWA's Will, Family To Appeal An Atlanta jury returned a verdict February 15 rejecting the claim of a gay man's family that he was mentally incompetent from "parasites on the brain" when he signed a will leaving the bulk of his estate to a longtime friend instead of his father and brother. The will was prepared less than a month before he died of AIDS last spring. The verdict clears the way for Gary Kaupman, 44, an Atlanta bookkeeper who maintained a friendship for twenty years with the deceased, David O'Shields, to receive the largest portion of the estate, estimated at $200,000. David O'Shields 1 father, George O'Shields, and brother, John Daniel O'Shields, 38, contested the will on the grounds that the deceased family member was of an unsound mind brought on by complications from his illness when he signed the document. The family also charged that O'Shields' friends unduly influenced him to exclude them from the will and give the majority of the estate to Kaupman. O'Shields signed the will while hospitalized on April 8, 1988, and died May 5. He was 30 years old. At the time he signed the will, O'Shields suffered from an enlarged brain caused by a parasitic infestation, according to his physician, Dr. Sue J. Lee. Lee testified in a videotaped deposition that O'Shields "was of sound mind" on the day the will was executed. She told of performing a mental status exam that day, and said O'Shields "was oriented to time, place, and person", although she indicated her patient had experienced problems associated with loss of memory and balance when he was admitted to the hospital on April 4. Dosages of a drug known as Decadron, which Lee said she began to administer to O'Shields following his admission on April 4, had the effect of clearing up his mind. "David was like a new person," she said, after he began taking the drug. The attorney who drew up O'Shields' will gave testimony that he signed the will voluntarily in her presence in the hospital. "David was not confused the day the will was signed," said Cara Maris. "David told me a lot about his family situation when he was in the hospital," Lee testified. "He told me he didn't get along with his family at all." O'Shields' father testified that his dead son was "sleepy and groggy" on the morning of April 8, and his brother said David O'Shields "dozed off' frequently and did not recognize either he or his father when they visited him three days earlier. The family’s attorney, Edward Gadrix, who said that the case is one of the first of its kind in the nation, characterized O'Shields' friends as a "homosexual element", and as "busy little bees, weaving their web to control David's mind". Gadrix contended that Kaupman "unduly influenced David to write a will making him the beneficiary". Gadrix told the jury of six men and six women that O'Shields had "a very diseased mind (during) the last days of his life. He had parasites on the brain," and was of impaired mental ability. Gadrix introduced testimony of an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Winkler G. Weinberg, who said that Cont'd Page 3 Have You Heard This Homophobe Lately? Comedian Sam Kinison's latest recording entitled "Have You Seen Me Lately" reinforces prejudice against gay men, lesbians and people with AIDS, according to gay rights and feminist organizations. Responding to anti-lesbian/gay bias in the entertainment industry, these groups have launched the" Campaign for Fairness in Entertainment." See story page 13. HRCF Mailgrams - Your Hotline for Influence and Power in D.C. Sen. Gordon Humphrey H umphrey's distorted "no promo homo" amendments, like those of Jesse Helms, exploit fear and anti-gay bigotry and censor effective AIDS education. Will he win? It's up to you! Help defeat anti-gay amendments to aids billsl CALL 1-800-257-4900 Scnd( tingrc** jmessage Ask for Operator 9IH4. Choose a prepared mailgr am only J4 Ml cadi. charged lo your telephone li sou dxn i know v^lni sour legislator iv the operator does \ CALL NOW! H elms .mli-g.iv .imciidmeiiis spread le.it ,md lugnirv .md endanger effective government response to the \ll>S iims Will he win'’ It s up to von' Beat back the llehns attack! CALL 1-800-257-4900 N'liil Coneress a uie'Mfci Wk lm ii|mi r,.i •• ihI ChoiiM' ,i prrp.iml m.iilerjiii tints Sl'tie.iili • Ii.mc iM« siini IrliphiMir It SiHI tblll l kilim ssIn• Siiur Irei'l.ilm l' II I "I" Mini |.H- 4 CALL NOW! i—|Rep. Bill Dannemeyer J The '‘Jess* Helms of (he House annemeyer’s anti-gay amendments undercut effective response to the AIDS crisis. Will he win? Not if you fight back! HELP DEFEAT HOMOPHOBIC AMENDMENTS! CALL 1-800-257-4900 Send Congress a message Ask lor Operator *#|K4 < house a prepared mailgram. Only $4.50 each, charged lo sour telephone It you don't know who your legislator is. the operator discs ^CALL NOW! llw S/>mJ 0*1 K ihi IIimiuii Ki»lii. ( in., jifn fund lm lunhfc inlo. nini.1,1 ih* I irld I>i-i»...ii IIHI I HO Bo* 096. Wathiiiflon. IM Mill 01 .all iM.'l f.’» JIN' The Human Rights Campaign Fund’s "Action Hotlines" enable lesbian/gay constituents to send instantaneous mailgrams to their senators and representatives. The two new hotlines-one for AIDS and the other for civil rights and fairness issues-were designed to counter the radical right's "grassroots mail machine." See story page 6.