dy JamairayalCionerwater, MNJ- Eight years: after being severely brain -injured in a

car accident and becoming the focus of a national campaign by Gav anddisability rights activists, it appears that Sharon Kowalski is finallybeing allowed to "come home." Kowalski spore part of the holidayson with her king-time companion, Karen Than] FISOn i, at their homein rural Minnesota.

The lengthy court batiks over visitation rights and guardianshipbetween Thompson, KowalskVa parents and a third party endedDecember 17 when the Minnesota Court of Appeals, calling theLesbian couple "a family of affinity which ought to be accordedrespect," granted full guardianship of Kowalski to Thomps.on,

Unbeknownst to the court, the decision was rendered on the 12thanniversary of a cereineny in which Thompson and Kowalskiexchanged rings and pledged their lifelong commitment to each other.

Important Pcemdent"This seems to be the first guardianship case in the nation In which

an appeals court recognized a homosexual partner's rights astarttainourit to those of a spouse," said Thonipson's •attorney, M. SueWilson,

The Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision that grantedguardianship to a former high school coach of Sharon's, a person St.Louis County Judge Robert Campbell believed would be a "neutralthird party,

But in a strongly worded statement, the Appeals Court declared:"Thompson's suitability for , guardinnship- was overwhelmingly clearfrom the testimony of Sharon's doctors and caretakers."

The Appeals Court elan disagreed with Judge Campbell'sdescription of the 3S year old Kowalski as a "child" who could notexpress her own wishes! "All the medical testimony established thatSharon has the capacity reliably to express a preference in this case,and she has clearly dampen to return home with Karen Thompson ifprissihte,"

Thompson and Kowalski Ilved together for four years tieforeaccident. -- • ;

TURN TO VICTORY, PAGE' I I

VOLUME FIVE, NO. 1—January 91 .1992—Jlertuney 22, 1992 FREE •

- -Give the People Light 4nd they will find their own way.

V TheWisconsin LightThompson Wins Guardianship;Kowalski to Come Home at Last

Milwaukee City Council to Vote onPride Parade Funds January 21

ExperimentalDrugs BIBIntroduced

[Mod11Nonl- A bill to make experimentalAIDS treatments more available to peoplewith HIV infection W8$ introduced in LateDecember, 1991, by tour Wisconsinlawmakers.

State Representatives Steve Loucks(R•Meenon) sod David Clarenbach(D-Madison) in partnership with TimCarpenter. (D-Milwaukee) and PeggyRosenqweig (R-Wituwatosa) aresponsoring the bill to make csperimeetalAIDS drugs Mart available by removingthe liability for punitive damages fromphysicians who prescribe thosetreatments to consenting patients.

According to the authors, the use ofsuch treatments has been discouraged bya lack of protection for physicians whomight prescribe the experimentaltherapies'.

At a State Capitol press conference hemDecember 19, 091, the plan wasendorsed by the People Living with AIDSCoalition. "We who arc living with aterminal illness have, for many years,offered ourselves as the guinea pigs forexperimental drugs and devices, in hopesof giving ourselves some additionalpie-lily of life. But flue to the length oftittle it takes for approval, many people donot survive," according to Jerry Smith,the Chiir of the Coalition;

•"Otar government wants to decide what

Help from BarWas Not SoughtIn Shooting

Executive Mewls Note: In the lastissue of Light a story %11$$ run . concerningthe shooting itt the parking lot behind theWreck Room. I was responsible for thatpad of the story. I failed to make an effortto contact the Wreck Room. This was myresponsibility. and I wag wrong and Iapologize to the Wreck Room for it. Whatfollows is the missing other half of thestory.

• • *Jim Beck was shot on December 6.

1991. According to Bill Kindt, owner ofthe Wreck R001 11 , the bartender on dutywas Mark-Marks Mark-Mark said thatBeck walked into the Wreck Room and140 that he had just been robbed. Beckconfirmed that al the time. Ses did notknow he had been shot. Mark-Mark saidthat Beck asked where the phone was.

intlit said 'het Mark•Mark reported thatassistance was asked for nor watt he

later contacted for help.Kindt, who was not in the bar at the

time. said that the next day he heard"rumors" that a man had been snot butsaid that he knew no details until he readabout the shooting in Light.

Kinds said that he immediatelyinvestigated, risking both Mark-Mark andSteve, the bar manager. what they knew.He said they too had heard only rumors.Neitherof them had been asked for aid.

"The Wreck ROOM never has or everwill refuse assistance to anyone who asksfor it," Atha R indt. "if we don't knowthey need assistance, we Can't render it.We're not mind readers."

iflAgenbtik006iiklsOillitst

.to alter the- OBA's • testing procedure.What we are seeking is a way `to helppc ie Whose best hope for health• maybea ". new .or' experimental treatment.explained Loucks.

Observing that many diseases such . asAIDS and some forms of cancer are notalways curable through the currentFDA-approved treatments, Loucks added,"I want physicians to be able to prescribeexperimented drugs in such cases, if thatis what the patient wants. Removing thephysicians' risk of punitive damages 1.1one step in making this hap en,"'

..Clarenbach cited the bill as a majorbreakthrough in gaining quicker access toAIDS. drugs. "Last session we passedour Bill of Rights for People with MIAend 1-11V Infection. This extends theprinciple that people living with AIDSseed every current medical treattrient,"Clarenbach said.

Carpenter, who chairs the AssemblyHealth Committee, pledged quick actionon the trill.

"1 We will schedule the bill for aJanuary hearing and report it out to thefull Assembly for a vote In February."Carpenter said.

The bill will not changc the proceduresfor obtaining oar prescribingexperimental drugs. which are beingadministered In many programs acrossthe country. Patients , must sign consentforms when participating in suchtreatments. In the event of Injufy front theexperimental drug, Loucks' bill wouldcontinue to allow patients to collectgeneral damages for their injuries.

"The benefit of this bill is the removalof punitive damage risk from thesit ua tion," declared Loucks. Punitivedamages are awarded to injured personsover and above their general damages formedical negligence; such awards aremade with the intent of punishing theguilty party.

"In a situation where a gravely illpatient has accepted an experimentaltreatment and made an informed decisionto accept the possibility of unplannedeffects from that treatment, punitivedamages have no place," declaredLoucks.

"The focus of this . bill is the patient,"concluded Loucks. "With experimentaldrugs offering the best end even the finalhope for so many people, we must do ailwe can to give these treatments a chanceto save lives."

By Jamukayn

lirIldwuulaeels On January 21, theCommon Council is scheduled to makefinal deciiion about whether Milwaukee'sGays Lesbian Pride Committee willreceive a 55.000 grant of city festivalfunds.

The Council's Economic DevelopmentCommittee voted 3 -2 on January I to denythe funds to the Pride Committee.Aldermen Michael Motphy introduced themotion to deny the funding, and wasjoined by, John K sleeks and ChrisKrajniak voted against the funding.Aldermen Marvin Pratt and Steve CullenSupported the funding by voting againstthe motion.

Cullen said that voting against . thefunds for the Gay/Lesbian PrideCelebration . "feeds on ignorance andhatred and fear, and l don't want to be apart of it. This city needs to look at wayswe can be accepting of things we don'tu nderstand."'

If the full Council votes against thefunding, the Pride Committee will be theonly group rejected among the 38 diversecommunity organizations which are elatedto receive city festival funds.

The Milwaukee Fe-stival Fund Boardinitially recommended the $5,000allocation last Fall. Other events slatedfor funding include the Riverwest Art

•17-+.."1!fn- .-4-reetTrrairg.. ..Pt t eetz

Sortie legal observers believe further action is unlikely given the unanimous and stronely' worded opinion by the Court of Appeals.

'Life Wan% Be %BOWIn an interview with Wisconsin Liable Thompson Fetid she was "greatly relieved" by

the ruling, "We now have the ability to make our °wit decisions without consulting the•court all theStime. It doesn't mean life is going to be simple, but we've, overcome a bighurdle." • •

After learning of the decision, Kowalski's first comment was an unequivocal "I want tocome hame."

Kowalski is currently in the Trevilla of Robbinsclide rehabilitation facility in su.burhanrviinneapolis. Rut Thompson Said: "I plan to have Sharon home se often as can. She justloves it here, especially out along the [Mississippi) river.

Since the decision, mild 'Thompson, "Shawn's hio-ssorning. She's getting much 'lire'smotivated. She's even beginning to laugh out loud Mot." •

Thompson and Kowalski face some tough decisions however."Every move for brain-injured person is very difficult," Thompson told the Light,

"It took many months for Sharon to adjust to the personnel and surroundings at Trevilla,where she's d.oing very well right now, So despite her desire to return home, the movecould he very disruptive rue her. 1 must be sure to have the proper Support system in piece$0 we don't taii.`' '

Walk. the St. Patrick's Day parade, thePuerto Rican Festival, Farm Fest,Downer Days, a Kwanzsa Celebration andthe Veteran's Day Parade.

Dennis Bunch, Vice-President of the1992 kiay/Lesbian Pride Committee toldthe 1,101 that he was disappointed at theaction of the Common Council eommitteeand hoped that the • full Cuuricil wouldsupport the funding,

"The Pride Celebration is not justopen to Gays and Lesbians but to allpeople who want to participate and learnabout the Gay community," said Bunch,who extended are invitation to nil Councilmembers to attend this year's event onJune 14.

Bunch also noted that the anti•Gaybacklash brought on by the JeffreyDahmer case made it even moreimperadve,fer the parade and rally to besuccessful and for more Milwaukeeans toattend. "it's an opportunity to buildsome understanding; and the city ought tosupport it," said Bunch,.

He encouraged Gaya. Lesbians andtheir supporters to CBI! Council members(43 lobby in favor of the funds. Councilmembers can be reached by calling CityHall at (414) 278-2221. Their homenumbers are listed in the telephonedirectory,

zs and is not good for us. Let us and ourhealth care providers make that choice,because for many of us, especially thoseof us . with a terminal illness_ :such as'Can'Oeti: heart disease, and yes,. A[bS,have nothing-Ow to !rise," Smith said.' "Many now medications and medicaldevices are being used with, recce- S inother parts of the world, and yet, many ofthese drugs mid devices are basicallyunavailable in the U.S. at this point,"noted Rep. Loucks. The lengthy andexacting testing requirements of the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) playa part in this situation, laid theRepresentatives,

"Such procedural hurdles may stall theuse of such innovative or experimentaltreatments in America for many years,"added Loucks.

"It is important to test thesetreatmenee.carefully, and we do net seek