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, October 10th. I’m Rachel Balick.
And I’m David Paul. First up, exciting news for this weekend.
Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day, an annual event celebrating the visibility of the LGBT community and its allies held every year on October 11th. To mark the occasion, HRC is inviting members and supporters ages 18 to 25 to take part in our Come Out and Vote video contest. To enter, contestants must create a short video telling the world how they will come out and vote to make a difference this year. For additional information on the contest and to watch HRC’s National Coming Out Day awareness video, visit HRC.org/comingoutcontest.
On a considerably more somber note, Sunday marks ten years since the death of Matthew Shepard. Shepard’s brutal murder brought national attention to the issue of hate crimes against the LGBT community and inspired his mother, Judy Shepard, to become a prominent activist for hate crimes legislation. The Matthew Shepard Act, a bill that would expand federal hate crimes protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity, passed the House and Senate by wide margins in 2007. At that time, President Bush threatened to veto the bill if it reached his desk.
HRC Vice President of Development and Membership Cathy Nelson has been selected as one of CNN’s heroes. A segment that aired last night during Larry King Live highlighted Nelson’s important work for HRC and her continued advocacy for hate crimes protections. The segment also featured long-time LGBT rights supporter Cyndi Lauper, who worked with Nelson during the 2007 True Colors Tour to promote the federal hate crimes bill.
A recent national survey found that nine out of 10 LGBT teens have been verbally harassed in the past school year, and almost half have been physically harassed because of their sexual orientation. The survey, conducted by The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, also found students in schools with a Gay-Straight Alliance reported hearing fewer homophobic remarks and experienced less harassment and assault based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. GLSEN’s is the only national survey to document the experiences of students who identify as LGBT in America’s secondary school system.
Chicago Public School leaders said they will recommend opening the city’s first school for LGBT students. Chicago’s school leaders cited studies that show LGBT high school students are at greater risk of dropping out because of stigma and fear of violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as a reason for their recommendations. Final approval of the School for Social Justice Pride Campus is expected to come on October 22nd, when the Board of Education votes.
Grey’s Anatomy star T.R. Knight has donated 50,000 dollars to No on Prop 8, the campaign fighting an effort to end marriage equality in California. Knight’s donation came after Ohio entrepreneur Jonathan Lewis announced he would give a matching donation to No on Prop 8 if Los Angeles’ entertainment industry could raise 500,000 dollars to defeat the discriminatory ballot measure. So far, celebrities such as musician Pete Wentz and his band Fall Out Boy, Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner, and E! talk-show host Chelsea Handler have made donations.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
We’ll be showcasing HRC’s great line of clothing every Friday here on Equally Speaking. Every purchase you make at HRC.org/shop and at our Action Center stores in Provincetown, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, goes toward the important work of the Human Rights Campaign. Thanks for watching, have a great weekend.