Equally Speaking
The following is a transcript of HRC’s morning news webcast "Equally Speaking." To view the current videos visit the main Equally Speaking page.
Good morning, and thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking, your morning dose of LGBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Wednesday, August 13th. I’m Sultan Shakir.
And I’m Janice Hughes. First up, will Congress see a third openly gay Representative?
Self-made millionaire and entrepreneur Jared Polis is expected to become the third openly gay member of Congress after winning Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District primary for the Democratic Party. Polis defeated former state Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald and will face Republican Scott Starin in November. Polis, if victorious, would join openly gay Representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank in Congress.
Attorneys Shannon Minter and Therese Stewart, both of whom have fought to overturn California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, were named the recipients of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association’s 2008 Dan Bradley Award. Minter is the legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Stewart is San Francisco’s chief deputy city attorney. The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the struggle for LGBT equality.
The Arizona Senate Ethics Committee on Tuesday threw out a complaint that Republican Senator Jack Harper violated rules when he cut off debate regarding the constitutionality of a ban on same-sex marriage during the last night of the session. Senator Ken Cheuvront, a Democrat from Phoenix, filed the complaint, saying Harper violated Senate rules in deliberately halting the discussion by pulling the plug on the microphones of those speaking.
Maryland’s Court of Appeals has agreed to hear a case involving a referendum on Montgomery County’s new transgender rights law. The court will determine whether voters are asked in November to keep or throw out the law that provides protections for transgender individuals in housing, employment and public accommodations. The court is expected to make their ruling following a September 8th hearing regarding the referendum.
In New York, Otsego County Treasurer Myrna Thayne has amended the county’s health care plan to specifically exclude same-sex couples, regardless of their legal status. Thayne writes in a memorandum that she has made this decision in an effort to save taxpayers money. County Board Chairman James Powers and others who belong to the county’s Administration Committee have criticized the change, saying Thayne consulted no one in making her decision.
A recently released report from the United Nations shows that less than one percent of HIV/AIDS prevention spending worldwide targets gay and bisexual men. The study explains that six hundred and sixty nine million dollars are spent globally on prevention services but only a tiny fraction of this amount is spent specifically targeting gay and bisexual men, a demographic whose rates of infection continue to rise. At the recent International AIDS Conference in Mexico, fear and hate of the LGBT community was highlighted as a significant barrier to investing in prevention efforts for this group.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow morning.