Page five

It was a very long day. I held onto the security of knowing I had the best help available... Haft for the A.C.L.U. and John Quigley and Don Rueben. Plus Dr. Richard Green of U.C.L.A. and Dr. Todd of Columbus. I also knew that if we lost, we would have another day in a higher court.

We had to wait until June 28th for the decision because of legal hassles caused by my ex's attorney. This waiting was the worse time of all. Finally, the judge dismissed the case and announced he could not find grounds for removing the child from the mother's custody simply because she was a lesbian.

At

We won. But we didn't celebrate. We learned many things during this experience, one of which is that a child does not belong to either parent. It belongs to the state. any time the ex-husband, the court, or the child welfare department can decide to play this societal game with our lives and we will have to do it all over again.

by Sallie Hall

THE "GROUPTE" CORNER

'Way back last issue, there appeared an article concerning the activities of a women's football team in your city [Columbus]. Since that article, plenty has happened to that team. They proved unbeatable in games against Cleveland and Dayton. They have now got themselves in a new league, with good prospects of growth and maybe less exploitation, and promise of challenging games.

Two weeks ago, as I write, the Columbus Pacesetters had their first taste of new competition when they took a skeleton team of 12 to Pennsylvania for a punishing game with Toledo. Those 12 played both

offense and defense the entire game, and in doing so received the respect of the opposing team, the officials, and the fans. And even more important, they proved their own selfconfidence, respect, and love of the sport. Which brings me to my point. That love of sport is what you see the most, watching these women. It is an awesome feeling; a joyous feeling. Now, my question is, where is the support for that effort? Where are all you dykes out there in Columbus, when they have a home game?

Now, I know, as well as

the next person, that some people don't like football. Seems that a lot of women, in particular, don't like football. Maybe we should examine a bit closer the reasons behind that. For instance, just how do we feel about violence and violent physical activity? How do we feel about strong competition? How do we feel about competition and teamwork among women? How do we feel about a sport, in particular, that has been a "man's sport" as long as it has been in existance? (Even tho' some of us were out there at 1112-13 yrs. of age playin' "tackle" just as eagerly as the boys were.) Do we appreciate fully the amount of effort, of dedicated training of body, the exquisitly choreographed teamwork and style that makes a football game?

Last game I went to, the woman next to me started out before the game tellin' me she didn't like violence in football. By the third quarter, my arm was black and blue from where she was beatin' on me every time Columbus made yardage, jumpin' up and down and screaming.

It's like any other game, if you take the time to understand the rules and plays involved, the strategy being used; you can appre-

continued...