gay people's

HRO

March 1989

fis

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPT. PERIODICAL

NI

MAR 7

Volume 4

Issue 9

Soc

L E

Cleveland, Ohio

A Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

Eighth CWRU Lesbian/Gay Conference

The eighth annual Case Western Reserve University All-Ohio Lesbian and Gay Conference has been set for April 1 and 2 and will be held on the campus of CWRU at the Thwing Student Center. The program runs from 9:00a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The format includes entertainment, three sessions of instructive and interactive workshops with contemporary gay and lesbian themes, and featured speakers. The conference costs $8 and is free to students.

Saturday, April 1, the schedule begins with morning and afternoon workshop sessions. At mid-day the popular Cleveland-based improvisational comedy group Giant Portions will perform in

the Excelsior Ballroom. Admission to Giant Portions is $4 ($2 for students) and is the only event not included in the $8 registration fee. Also at mid-day, Boston-based Two in Twenty Productions Inc. will present and discuss a 50 minute episode of its lesbian soap opera "Two in Twenty." An evening reception will follow an address and slide show by Minneapolis's Allison Bechtel, creator of the lesbian cartoon "Dykes to Watch Out For."

Sunday's program includes an interfaith worship service, an organizational fair, the third round of workshops and an address by William Waybourn or John Thomas of the Dallas Gay Alliance. Dallas has recently been the focus of national media spotlighting Texas State District

Judge Jack Hampton. Hampton, who openly proclaims his anti-gay prejudices, has been widely denounced for telling a newspaper that he had given a killer a lighter sentence because the murder's victims were "queers." Aubrey Wertheim will wrap up the conference with a closing message.

The conference committee continues to seek out new workshop topics of interest to Cleveland lesbians and gay men. Currently developing workshops include "How to buy a house together and jointly own property," "Gay Men in Film," "Medical Aspects of Artificial Insemination," "Changing Sexual Behavior, for AIDS Risk Reduction," "Homosexuality and the Bible," and others. If you or your group can bring similar expertise to the

Kowalski, Thompson meet after 3 years

At her own request, Sharon Kowalski on February 2 received her first visit from Karen Thompson since August 1985.

Kowalski, who was moved by court order from the Leisure Health Center in Hibbing, Minnesota, to the Miller-Dwan Medical Center in Duluth on January 17th, also requested to see other friends from the St. Cloud area, where she had lived until her severe automobile accident in November 1983.

Kowalski has been the subject of a bitter five-year court battle over her treatment and guardianship between Thompson, her lover, and her father. Donald Kowalski had initially obtained guardianship of his daughter and, upon learning of their relationship, forbade Thompson from even seeing her. Kowalski had been kept in the Leisure Hills nursing home since 1985, where she received little rehabilitation and was

Reynolds resigns from HIT

by Joan Valentine

On February 17, Gary K. Reynolds resigned from his position as Executive Director of the Health Issues Taskforce (HIT). By mutual agreement, Reynolds and HIT decided not to renew his contract for the coming year

When asked why Reynolds resigned, staff members referred the Chronicle to legal counsel for the Taskforce. Their attorney stated only that Mr. Reynolds did resign, and that neither HIT nor Reynolds would discuss the matter until the agency's newsletter comes out this month with an explanation of the circumstances. Geno Taylor, President of the Board, said a statement would be issued when the Board had reassigned Reynolds duties.

Sources close to HIT indicated that internal discord was one of the factors behind Reynold's resignation, and that The and the board disagreed on what administrative direction the agency should

follow. One source said that he was not surprised to hear of Reynold's departure, because "there was a lot of dissatisfaction on both sides."

Gary Reynolds began his duties as Executive Director with HIT on April 4, 1988. He served less than one year, and inherited an agency dealing with budget worries and controversy over its annual fund-raising event known as Dancin' in the Streets. Reynolds could not be reached for comment.

It was learned that Reynolds will return to the Washington, D.C. area, where he lived before taking the job with HIT. He was the former Executive Director of the Offender Aid and Restoration Program in the criminal justice system of Alexandria, VA. He also volunteered as chairman of the social planning committee of the Alexandria United Way, where he became involved in AIDS services. A spokesman for the United Way recalled that Reynolds "did an outstanding job" for their agency. ▼

New youth group at Center

by Faith Klasek

For close to ten months, coordinators have been planning the start of a youth rap group at the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center. On January 7, the group became a reality when ten young men and women gathered for the group's first meeting.

The group's official name is Presence and Respect for Youth in Sexual Minority (PRYSM). and it meets every Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m. This support and discussion group is open in those 22 years old and under who are gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, other sexual minorities, and their concerned friends.

At present, the group's format is twofold. First, the group spends time dis-

cussing a topic which is chosen by a peer facilitator. Topics thus far have included stereotypes, family, dating, religion, and the gay and lesbian community. All members of the group participate in the discussion and the atmosphere has been friendly, supportive, and humorous. Afterward, the group spends time informally planning future activities.

PRYSM looks forward to taking part in a variety of community activities including Pride '89, the annual Lesbian and Gay Conference at Case Western Reserve University, and other important community events. There is a possibility that PRYSM representatives will attend the 11th Annual Lesbian and Gay Health Fair in April. In addition, members feel

Continued on Page 5

prevented from seeing any visitors not approved by her father. Thompson has been pursuing legal action since 1984 for proper medical care for Kowaski, as well as the right to visit and help care for her.

In an order dated December 28, 1988, St. Louis County district court judge Robert V. Campbell wrote that Kowalski should be transferred to Miller-Dwan for a period of rehabilitation care under the direction of Dr. Matthew Eckman, head of the team of specialists that performed her court-ordered evaluation in September. Donald Kowaski attempted to appeal the move by supplying a doctor's affidavit stating the move would be medically harmful. Dr. William Wilson, the Kowalski's family doctor, stated he would order nursing home personnel not to comply with the move. Judge Campbell, however, overruled the general practitioner's objections.

Photo by Drew Cari

gay and lesbian community in the form of a workshop, or if you wish to be included in the pre-registration mailing, leave a message with your name, address and phone number for the committee at 4210699. ▼

Rose Marie Denman at the 1988 All Ohio Lesbian/Gay conference

The evaluation report stated, “Ms. Kowalski's level of social and psychological well-being is quite low related to the difficulty of the social situation as well as the chronic nature of her placement in a nursing facility."

The court order stated that while at Miller-Dwan, "Ms. Kowalski may have visitation with her family and with those personal friends who she specifically and reliably request visit her," as documented and approved by her doctors.

Although she has been under legal guardianship of Donald Kowalski since 1984, the September tests were her first full evaluation for competency, although guardianship law requires such testing at least annually. The tests were ordered in July 1988 by Judge Campbell over strenuous objections of Donald Kowalski. In September 1987, attorneys Continued on Page 3

Murder, fraud, and homophobia

by Sandy Dwyer

March 16, 1988 was just another Saturday night to Barry Pomeroy--he had no idea, as he got ready to go out to one of his favorite West Hollywood gay bars, that he would play a key role in the investigation of what is turning out to be a bizarre case involving charges of insurance fraud and murder.

The first story broke in the Los Angeles Times on October 20 with the headline, "Glendale Doctor Is Linked to Bizarre Insurance Scheme." The Times reported that Farmer's New World Life Insurance Co. of Mercer Island, Wash. had filed theft charges against two men from Columbus, Ohio, Melvin E. Hanson, 46, and John B. Hawkins, 26.

It was on April 16, 1988 that Hanson had reportedly died. Paramedics were called to the office of Glendale, California physician Richard P. Boggs who told them that one of his patients, Melvin E. Hanson, had died in the office, apparently of heart failure. He said that Hanson had beer his patient for seven years. The dead man's walle. contained Hanson's credit cards and a photocopy of his birth certificate. Then, John B. Hawkins, Hanson's business partner in a company named Just Sweats, also identified the man as Hanson and ordered the body to be cremated. It was only after the insurance company had paid the life insurance claim of $1 million to Hawkins

that it was discovered that the dead man was not Hanson. At that time, no charges had been filed against Boggs.

Then, in early February of this year. Boggs was arrested in Glendale on charges of murder, conspiracy and insurance fraud. The same charges have been filed against Hawkins, who is still at large, and Hanson, who had been apprehended by U.S. Customs officials at the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport January 30 for allegedly carrying a false passport, only later discovering his true identity.

It was a story that did not surprise Pomeroy.

Twenty-two days before the man, later identified as Ellis Henry Green, was found dead in Boggs' office, Pomeroy was introduced to "Peter," later known to him as Peter Richards. They talked for a while in the bar, then decided to get some breakfast at a local restaurant. Their conversation covered a variety of topics with an emphasis, Pomeroy said, on architecture. Then Peter asked if he had seen the new buildings going up in Glendale and when Pomeroy said “no”, suggested taking a drive through the

area.

On the way to Glendale, Pomeroy said that Peter asked if it was okay if they stopped at his office for just a moment so he could make a telephone call.

It wasn't until entered the office that Continued on Page 3