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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1988)
Just news Bring Sharon home Fund. Thompson’s legal bills total nearly $110,000. Through the success of Thompson’s own nationwide fund-raising and the work of the national groups, her debt is now less than $30,000. The fund has become one of the most successful legal efforts in women’s and gay community history. In addition to fund-raising, a priority for the groups has been to inform lesbian and gay Karen Thompson has not seen Sharon Kowalski since August 1985. BY K A M I L A A L - N A J J A R n November 1983, Sharon Kowalski’s car was struck by a drunk driver. She received a serious brain-stem injury and remained in a coma for a long time. Kowalski had been lovers with Karen Thompson for four years, had exchanged rings and had jointly purchased a house in St. Cloud, Minn. She was pronounced by doctors to be a severely brain-damaged quadriplegic, but Thompson, a physical-education professor with a background in physical therapy, began work ing with her. Kowalski soon could use her hands to eat and wash, and could communicate and answer questions using a typewriter. Kowalski’s parents, however, did not under stand Thompson’s devotion to helping their daughter recover from the accident. When she told them of her relationship, they told her that she was sick and a liar, and they tried to prevent her from seeing and working with her lover. In 1984, Thompson sued for guardianship. Ultimately, she agreed to allow Donald Ko walski to be named as Sharon Kowalski's guar dian in return for provisions in the court order that allowed her unlimited visitation and that maintained the rehabilitative care. But she has not seen Sharon since August 1985. Donald I Kowalski went to court to revoke Thompson’s privileges; upon winning, he barred her from visiting and moved Kowalski to a nursing home three hours away. Donald Kowalski claims that Sharon Ko walski functions as a six-year-old and cannot answer questions or express wishes. He denies that she has asked for Thompson, although vis itors from the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union have witnessed such requests. Court orders stipulated that Kowalski’s father must have her tested annually for compe tency and must abide by her expressed wishes. None of Thompson’s appeals have succeeded in bringing enforcement to those orders. Accord ing to Gay Community News, the Minnesota courts have ruled that the state Civil Liberties Union may not participate in the case and that the Patients’ Bill of Rights may not be invoked to influence the behavior of a guardian. Thompson has filed a new motion in District Court in Duluth asking that Kowalski be legally “ restored to capacity’’ (given decision-making power). The intent of the motion is to force Kowalski’s parents to have her tested and to enter the results in the court record. National Sharon Kowalski support groups, composed of activists in women’s, gay and disability rights, have focused their efforts on fund-raising for the Karen Thompson Legal couples about protecting their relationships through durable powers of attorney documents, which assign legal decision-making authority. The groups have distributed informative mate rials, made presentations and sponsored work shops with attorneys. For more information, or to donate money to the legal fund, call Gilah at 281 -2980. • Sister to Sister City The Ben Linder Construction Brigade is going to Corinto to reroof and rewire the only hospital in the town. B Y__ K A M I L A A L - N A J J A R hospital in Corinto. Leo will contribute her carpentry and paramedic skills. usan Leo, a member of the Portland “ Work on the hospital means a lot to me community since 1972, is one of 15 because I’m very much interested in medicine; members of the first Ben Linder Construction that we are going to Corinto, Portland’s sister Brigade. city, is important to me as well," Leo said. “ It’s The group is going to Corinto, Nicaragua, in also very important that it is in the name of Ben honor of Ben Linder, a Portland resident that we are going, and because of the work he murdered in a contra ambush on April 28,1987. was doing in Nicaragua.” Linder and six Nicaraguan co-workers had Leo said that she is not afraid to go to Nicara begun construction of a small dam when the gua and that she hopes to make connections contras attacked. Two Nicaraguans, Pablo with our sister communities in Corinto. Rosales and Sergio Hernandez, also were killed. “ It is important for us to communicate that it Contra spokesmen stated that they knew is not the American people who are at odds with Linder was building a hydroelectric plant and the people of Nicaragua, it is the American considered him and his co-workers to be government,” she stressed. “ legitimate targets.” Her trip will cost $1,200; she has raised half The brigade will work for three weeks in of that amount. For more information, or to January to help reroof and rewire the only make donations, call 233-9079. • S PROFESSIONS & S E R V I C E S B R A D L E Y J. W O O D W O R T H ATTORNEY AT LAW OREGON TRAIL BUILDING PENTHOUSE ATTORNEY 215 S .W . W a s h in g to n S t. P o rtla n d , O R 97204 (503) 2 2 8 -5 2 2 2 FR EE IN IT IA L C O N S U L T A T IO N •A C C I D E N T A N D IN JU R IE S » B U S IN E S S L A W A N D •M IS D E M E A N O R S & T R A F F IC L IT IG A T IO N C R I M E S (D U II) ‘ R EA L ESTATE •D IV O R C E , C U S T O D Y A N D « W IL L S & E S T A T E S C H IL D SU P P O R T •L I T I G A T I O N IN A L L S T A T E A N D F E D E R A L C O U R T S EMILY SIMON T H i | l G a y M e n 's v _ o u n se n n 2 S e rv ic e s c e n t e r slid in g scale • S e lf-E ste e m • A s s e r tiv e n e s s 235-3433 • R ela tio n sh ip C o u n se lin g • T h erap y & S u p p o rt G ro u p s 2 0 3 6 S.E . Morrison 1713 N.E. 15th Portla nd. O re g o n 97212 (6 0 3 )2 8 2 - 5 2 2 9 D V M Y r o * k . o n s u ^ s * i » D°0S 2519 E - - O a ts - C o m p a n io n B ir d ? " B u r n s id e P o r tla n d , O R 97214 50 3-2 3 3-5 0 01 n X > N y s m c in t i A tto rn e y at La w 7 1 4 Mead Building 4 2 1 SW Fifth Avenue Portland. Oregon 9 7 2 0 4 Telephone 503/2 9 5 -2 4 5 6 — Comprehensive Business Services — Property Management — Rental Agent g v n C yn th ia C u m fe r H & H COMPANY Public Accountants P H O E N I X m i . PET G R O O M I N G Muff, E S I M O N , KRAMER & FITHIAN-BARRETT • Felony 6 M isdem eanor Defense Attorneys • S5I/SSDI • Adoptions • Sliding Scale • Evening A ppointm ents 5 0 6 S.W Sixth# 5 1 0 . Portland. O regon9 7 2 0 4 .(5 0 3 > 2 4 0 -2 7 3 3 P a tr ic ia 333 S.W . F I F T H A V E N U E P O R T L A N D , O R E G O N 97204 - (503) 228-2901 B E N MERRILL 200 W a ld o B u ild in g CPI • n icz P e t * 333 SW Fifth, Suite 404 Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 4 (5 0 3 )2 2 3 -8 2 9 9 J E R I 1. H E N D R IC K S , Rental Agent (503) 640 -0768 Just Out • S • January 1988