was intimately involved in her daily care and recovery.

When Kowalski's parents began questioning and limiting Thompson's visiting hours, a psychologist récommended that Thompson be open with Kowalski's parents about her relationship with their daughter, so that they could understand her intense concern. The parents completely rejected their daughter's lesbianism and accused Thompson of being "sick" and "crazy," and even of sexually abusing their daughter. Cut off from her lover, Thompson filed for guardianship. When Kowalski's parents counter-filed, they were awarded guardianship by the court, with the provision that Thompson be allowed "equal access" to visitation and medical staff consultations.

Since that time, the family has moved Kowalski farther and farther from St. Cloud, requiring that Thompson drive as much as seven hours to be with her. While Kowalski rarely responds to others, she is very responsive with Thompson. Court affidavits filed by Kowalski's doctors have stated that, "Karen is the key to Sharon's recovery."

Both Thompson and the Minnesota American Civil Liberties Union have contested Kowalski's parents' guardianship. In the meantime, Thompson has filed under the Patients Bill of Rights that Kowalski had the right to see whoever she wished to have visit her. In response, the Minnesota State Appellate Court decided in September that, while the appeal of guardianship is pending, Thompson and Kowalski do not have the right to see each other, on the grounds that Kowalski is incompetent to make her own decisions. Thompson has demonstrated that Kowalski can communicate with a typewriter, but the nursing home in which she is confined has no physical therapy facilities; therefore the staff has no idea that Kowalski is capable of communicating.

Meanwhile, Thompson has paid $11,000 in legal fees and still owes over $30,000 to lawyers. Anyone interested in making a financial contribution, or finding out more about this case, can contact Thompson at (612) 743-3305.

Black Lesbians And Gays Meet In St. Louis

by Craig G. Harris

A note which read "But[t] fucking niggers go home" was found on the hallway floor by several conferees as they returned to their hotel rooms from dinner Friday evening. It neither discouraged nor distracted the 125 black lesbians and gay men who came to St. Louis, Missiouri from as far away as London to attend the annual conference of the National Coalition of Black Gays (NCBG), held from November 29 to December 1. It only reaffirmed the need for such a conference, the theme of which was Black Pride and Solidarity: The New Movement of Black Lesbians and Gays.

Keynote addresses were delivered by NCBG board member and chair of NCBG's Political Action and Education Committee Gwendolyn Rogers and Henry Chinn, Assistant Director of Cooperative Education at Northeastern University School of Law and president of Boston's Black Men's Association. Both speakers stressed the need for coalition building within the black community and called for action against racist and homophobic attacks.

Speaking of the lack of visible leaders in the black community, Chinn said, "We must come together wherever we are and begin improving our quality of life for ourselves and for the people in our respective communities. We have to stand as beacons of light, creating constructive, positive solutions to problems. We should promote dialogue among all the different segments in our community. Our focus must be broad and encompassing. In many communities there is

little or no leadership that is not tied to the old ways of doing and seeing things. We must surface new leadership or fill the vacuum ourselves."

Rogers spoke about the oppression of people of color throughout the diaspora, instructing her audience to broaden their views of family. Citing some of the difficulties the lesbian and gay movement and the black movement are currently experiencing, she lauded NCBG's financial stability and its political/educational advocacy. Rogers formulated an agenda in response to NCBG's international mandate to put an end to homophobia in the black community, and to stop racist, anti-gay actions in the U.S. and abroad, launching NCBG as the vehicle of the new movement of black lesbians and gays.

New Name for Group

NCBG's General Convention coincided with the annual conference. One of the first points of business to be discussed by board members and convention delegates was a name change for the seven-year-old organization. It was unanimously decided that the organization will henceforth be called the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays. This body also elected Philadelphia writer/activist Joe Beam to the board of directors. A columnist for Au Courant, Beam is editor of the black gay anthology In the Life (forthcoming from Aylson Publications).

The conference offered nearly 20 practical and political workshops. The best attended were: "Building Positive Black Gay and Lesbian Self Images," in which panelists Dr. Julius Johnson, Dr. Vickie Mayes, Barbara Smith, and John Patterson discussed ways to overcome the impact of racism, internalized self-hatred and homophobia, and substance abuse in our community; "AIDS in the Black Community," in which AIDS education specialists Eddie King, David Naylor, and Lawrence Washington addressed the growing threat of AIDS to the black community in general and the black gay community in particular, to lay groundwork for launching NCBLG's AIDS Advisory Board; and "Black Lesbian and Gay Oral History," in which Mabel Hampton, the 83-year-old lesbian activist who was the honored guest of the conference, shared her knowledge of pre-Stonewallers.

The cultural program included screenings of several films, including Before Stonewall, Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People, Got the Make This Journey: Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Michelle Parkenson's most recent documentary, Storme: A Life in the Jewel Box, depicting the life of Storme DeLarverie, who served as the master of ceremonies and was the only female member of the Jewel Box Revue, a multiracial cabaret of female impersonators. (For further information, contact Eye of the Storm Productions, Inc. at 202-745-0199).

Live entertainment featured West Coast recording artists Blackberri and Gwen Avery; readings by Pat Parker, Jewelle Gomez, Cheryl Clark, Irare Sabasu, and members of the Blackheart Collective; and original choreography by George Bellinger. Of particular interest were two performance pieces. Haitian poet Assoto Saint, with the help of actors Ortez Alderson and Willie Barnes, presented excerpts of his New Love Songs and Rising to the Love We Need. Essex Hemphill, author of Earth Life (Be Bop Books) read selected poetry, with musical accompaniment by composer Wayson Jones.

Hampton was presented with roses and a bronze plaque at a banquet in her honor on Saturday evening. It was announced at that time that NCBLG will present an annual Mabel Hampton Award for recognition of commitment to the struggle of black lesbians

and gays.

The National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays will hold its next conference in Atlanta, Georgia in April, 1987. For membership information, contact NCBLG, 930 F Street, N.W., Suite 514, Washington, DC 20004.

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