national news

Lesbian Collective Wins Custody

The Vermont custody case of a lesbian mother and her child, part of a collective of eight lesbians and three kids, has been settled out of court, with the mother keeping custody.

Both sides prepared to go to court. A lawyer was appointed by the court to represent the child. Each of the three lawyers hired psychiatrists, who invaded the various homes, emotions, and minds to pass their judgements. The psychiatrist hired by the lawyer for the child turned in a favorable report, sup-

porting that custody remain with the mother. This was a turning point; the neutral, male, conservative lawyer was supporting the mother! After this point, there was considerable bickering over visitation rights, but final papers were signed in late August. It has been a long haul of asking and asking for help, with nothing to share but struggle, until now. LDF has been fundraising and supporting this effort since its onset. LDF went to the Women's Music Festival in Michigan in late August to bring this case to emotional and financial close. We did; we raised the money needed to pay off the last of the thousands of dollars of bills from this case. And we all felt a real emotional high and ending by introducing Carol and Rachel, the mother and child, and the rest of their collective, to the people that have supported them. They have all had to be anonymous throughout the case. Now they are glad for the chance to openly share the victory.

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Lesbian Defense Fund works to help lesbian mothers keep their children. There are several ways to do that court battles, out of court settlements, going underground, changing circumstances to avoid the whole confrontation...LDF can offer assistance to a woman and children taking any of these options.

LDF functions through a system of support groups. There is a central small core of people working generally with LDF, to organize and coordinate referrals to lesbian organizations, lawyers, and individual dykes. We have lots of fundraising experience which we can share. The bulk of the legwork

for each custody situation is done by a support group organized around that specific mother and children. That support group comes to LDF for advice and referral and that support group then makes the deci. sions, does the fundraising, makes the necessary connections.

Once LDF has made the decision to take on a case, that woman and children have ultimate authority in deciding which strategy to take in the struggle to stay together. Any option she and her children take

is going to be traumatic and exhausting beyond what they can imagine at the outset. When a lesbian and her kids decide to fight to stay together, they are

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NEW MALE CONTRACEPTIVE

This newest development was tested on male prostitutes. Called the intrapenaldevice, or IPD, it is inserted through the head of the penis and pushed into the scrotum with a plunger-like instrument, Occasionally there is a perforation of the scrotum which is disregarded since the male has no sensitivity in this area of his body. No one really knows the long range effects; but then, who

cares.

Common complaints have been severe cramping, massive hemorrhaging and green discharge from the head of the penis which are merely signs that the man's body has not yet adjusted to the "new resident". Hopefully these symptoms will disappear within a year.

IPD's are usually implanted with a string to insure quick removal or for sado-masochistic "play". In cases where the sex partner complained of the string, the string is removed and then the IPD must be taken out surgically.

making a huge energy commitment to that battle. LDF works to support. LDF does not work to pass judgement over what option is better than another. Our commitment is not to make headlines or legal court precedents; it is to keep the children.

LDF questions the purpose not to mention the functionality of dealing with the courts unless absolutely necessary.

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LDF is available now to help lesbian mothers make decisions about what to do in custody confrontations, and to offer help in organizing and functioning with support groups.

LDF has a 100% success rate in its completed cases. We need the help of all women around the country in order to keep that record up...resources, referrals, and money. Each settlement, in or out of court, costs several thousand dollars.

We have kept a few children out of their hands. If you want that to continue, find a way to help and let us know.

WRITE: L.D.F.

P.O. Box 4

Essex Junction, VT 05452 Tel: 802-862-9046

1. Push inserted into penis 2 inches.

2. Push plunger to release IPD while withdrawing the inserter.

3. With the IPD in place and the inserter withdrawn, the wearer can easily see that the SUPER-KINK is in place by checking the string.

For those men interested in a contraceptive method that won't bother your partner, fill in the coupon below and return it to your urologist for evaluation. Please feel free to experiment on me.

YES I am interested in trying the new SUPER-KINK NO I won't worry about the complications

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY/STATE

AGE MARRIED

OWN YOUR HOME

OF CARS RENT

You'll love the Super-Kink and take your time paying for it!

Klu Klux Klan to Disrupt IWY

The grand dragon of the Mississippi Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is going to Houston for the November 18-20 convention of the International Women's Year (IWY) Commission.

In addition to his responsibilities as grand dragon, George Higgins Jr. has been active in the coalition of right-wing forces attempting to take over state IWY conventions. The right-wingers hope to undermine the women's movement by mobilizing opposition at the convention to abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.

"Opponents of libbers, lesbians, loonies and left-

wingers are doing well," Higgins claimed, adding that the right wing expects to have a quarter of the delegates at the Houston convention.

The Klan, which considers feminists "the misfits of society," has been infiltrating the women's movement for years, according to an interview with Robert Shelton in the Detroit News. Shelton is an "imperial wizard" from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Members of the Klan's ladies' auxiliary will act as voting delegates at the IWY convention to "oppose what's going on," Shelton said, and Klansmen will also be at the meeting "to protect our women from all the militant lesbians who will be there.'

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October 1977/What She Wants/Page 7