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 Friday, August 29th. I’m Janice Hughes.
And I’m Sultan Shakir. First up, news from the Democratic National Convention.
Yesterday, HRC wrapped up an eventful week at the Democratic National Convention. HRC sponsored a series of events, including a reception celebrating diversity, an LGBT delegate luncheon, a panel discussion called “LGBT Issues in 2008: What a Difference Four Years Makes, ” and Rock to Win, which featured performances by Melissa Ethridge, Cyndi Lauper, Thelma Houston, Margaret Cho, and Rufus Wainwright. To learn more about the events and to see pictures and videos from the convention, visit HRCBackStory.org.
Cyndi Lauper, the woman behind HRC’s True Colors tour and a performer at Tuesday’s Rock to Win event, has endorsed Barack Obama. In an editorial in the Huffington Post, Lauper explained her support and highlighted Obama’s commitment to the LGBT community as her reason for endorsing him.
According to a poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, a majority of California voters oppose a ballot initiative to ban marriage for same-sex couples. The poll also found that voters are evenly split on whether or not they support marriage for same-sex couples. These results are similar to findings from a July Field poll, which found that 51 percent of likely California voters opposed a ban.
The president of NBC Olympics has released an apology for neglecting to show Australian diver Matthew Mitcham’s partner on camera after Mitcham won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Gary Zenkel said NBC regrets missing the opportunity to tell gold-medalist Matthew Mitcham's story. Mitcham was the only openly gay male athlete to compete in this year’s Olympic Games.
A report released by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that HIV is spreading in the city three times than the national average. The findings estimated that more than 4,700 New Yorkers contracted HIV in 2006. The study also concluded that African Americans and gay and bisexual men are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus.
It was announced that the main character in Logo's hit show Noah's Arc will marry his partner in the feature film adaptation of the show. Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom stars Darryl Stephens as Noah, who will marry his partner in a small ceremony in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The film is set to hit theaters on October 24th.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
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