European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 23, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 6 the stars and stripes . Thursday. June 23.1994 Virginia lesbian wins custody of  _ Tvrz Hanna and Well Adius Tei Richmond a. Apr a lesbian regained custody of her son tuesday when a state appeals court ruled that the woman a sex life though illegal under Virginia Law a docs not make her an unfit Parent. A a parents private sexual conduct even if illegal docs not create a presumption of unfitness a judge Sam w. Coleman Iff wrote m the 3-0 decision by a Virginia court of appeals panel. The Case which was closely watched by Gay rights groups involves custody of 2-year-Otd Tyler Doulou the son of lesbian Sharon Bottoms. V last year circuit judge Buford m. Parsons awarded custody of Tyler to Bottoms Mother Kay Bottoms. The judge said Sharon Bottoms was an unfit Mother because she and her live in Lover engaged in Oral sex a a crime against nature in Virginia. At a news conference Sharon Bottoms said she a screamed and cried and was really Happy when she Learned of the ruling. She said her Lover april Wade also cried. Bottoms 24, said the Effort to regain custody of Tyler has been draining but a the makes it All Worth the fight a Richard Ryder an attorney for the boys grandmother said the ruling will be appealed to the Virginia supreme court. A i think its a tragedy As far As the boy Tyler is concerned to put him Back in that environment a he said. _ in his decision Coleman said a child May not be taken from a Parent a based on proof that the Parent is engaged in private illegal sexual conduct or conduct considered by some to be deviant unless there is a substantial threat of harm. Psychologists who testified in a september custody hearing described Tyler As Happy and Well adjusted. And Sharon Bottoms As a Loving Mother she and the boys father Are divorced and he has not been involved m Paula Ettelbrick director of Public policy for the National Center for lesbian rights praised he m ing. A the courts decision follows what is logical in this particular Case and most lesbian custody cases and that is the in refuted evidence that sexual orientation does not make a Parent unfit a she said. _ Walt Barbee president of the family foundation based in Springfield va., said of the ruling a we Are witnessing another step in the gradual degradation and deconstruction of american  Bottoms 43, had alleged that her daughter occasionally spanked the boy Loo hard and cursed in his presence. Sharon Bottoms denied those allegations. In the stars and stripes 10 year Sago june 23,1984 a congressional conferees agreed on a package of spending cuts designed to help trim Federal budget deficits including a freeze of physicians fees under medicare and an increase in beneficiary premiums. Gore russian working to get Mission cooperation off 20 years ago june 23,1974 a democrats on the House judiciary committee said they suspected president Nixon got kid Glove treatment from the irs even in a second audit of tax returns that resulted in a deficit finding of $432,787. 30 years ago june 23,1964 a the soviet government said the recently inaugurated flights of pan american world airways from the United states to Berlin were unlawful warning that the Security of such flights could not be guaranteed. 40 years ago june 23,1954 a Guatemala radio asserted that rebel army forces were Defeated with a heavy casualties Quot in fighting that included two attempts to Cut Guatemala City s rail link to the sea. 50 year Sago june 23, 1944 a . Carrier based warplanes caught up with the japanese Fleet destroying or damaging 14 ships including a battleship and three aircraft carriers but the rest of the enemy flotilla escaped in the darkness. World War ii 1 50 years ago today june 23 1 a 9 a 4 4 american soldiers Battle to the outer defences of Cherbourg while the British capture , Northwest of Caen in Normandy. . Marines and japanese troops fight desperately on the slopes of Saipan s mount to Potchak. Organized japanese resistance ends on Biak Island but japanese troops on the Mainland of new Guinea inflict heavy losses on american forces in the a inv area. Source 2194 Days of War w h. San publisher inc the  of Ivi xxx Ettfer to. Amp san 8ocs Coro. 1981 a president minister Viktor Chernomyrdin stand beside an Apollo spacecraft at the smithsonian institutions air and space museum. Washington a it americans vice president and russians prime minister began two Days of talks with hands clasped in front of an enduring Symbol of cooperation a a replica of the two ships that linked the two nations in space a after years of Competition in space we have found a common destiny in cooperation and partnership a vice president a1 Gore told Viktor Chernomyrdin on tuesday night. The Chernomyrdin Gore meetings were carrying Forward the goal established by a .-russian commission 14 months ago to explore opportunities for cooperation in space and As Well As for Trade Energy investment and other areas Chernomyrdin regarded As second in political Power in Russia Only to president Boris Yeltsin is setting the stage with Gore for a Summit in Early fall Between president Clinton and Yeltsin on tuesday night Gore entertained Chernomyrdin at the smithsonian institutions air and space museum where a spectacular Large screen movie destiny in space was being premiered. A your partnership and efforts to work together in space Benefit the world not just the United states and Russia Quot said Gore who has visited Russia to Cement the cooperative space efforts. A there Are important real benefits for each country not Only in terms of tech Notony but also in terms of Bridges of understanding that develop when we work toward common  before going in to see the movie the two leaders Shook hands in front of the linked Apollo soyuz replica that is suspended from the ceiling. The replica commemorates the actual a handshake in space flight in 1975. A russian cosmonaut Alexander Sere Brov presented Gore with the Glove he wore during a spaceflight of 182 Days that ended in january. Gore spoke with Srebrov when he visited the space control facility in Kaliningrad Russia last december in turn the vice president gave the russians a Glove that astronauts used on the Hubble Telescope repair Mission in december. A America and Russia Are now preparing for joint operations of the space shuttle and the Mir station a Gore told Chernomyrdin before an audience of nearly 500 invited for the movies premiere. A we Are laying the  russians participation and the degree upon which the United states relies on it has caused unease in Congress where the stations continued funding is in jeopardy. A