The State : AIDS Victim Wins Custody

A gay man who has AIDS won custody of his 9-year-old son after a long legal battle. An order by the San Bernardino Superior Court awarded Artie Wallace, 33, custody of his son, Shawn, through the end of next year, when Wallace’s ability to care for the child will be re-evaluated. Wallace won the order in June but did not publicize it to preserve the child’s well-being. Roberta Achtenberg, a Lesbian Rights Project lawyer, said the ruling--the first in the nation granting custody to a parent with AIDS--”strikes a blow against the ignorance that surrounds both AIDS and homosexuality.” Wallace said the yearlong struggle to be reunited with his son taught him never to give up. “If I gave up, I’d probably be buried by now,” he said at a San Francisco press conference.