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.
Hello and thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking, your daily does of LGBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Tuesday, November 3rd. I’m Margot Rosen.
And I’m Jim Rinefierd. First up, it’s Election Day around the country.
First, in Maine, voters will decide whether or not to repeal a state law which would allow same sex couples to marry. A new poll released yesterday showed a tight race with voters slightly favoring repeal of the law for equal marriage by 51 percent to 47 percent. With such a close margin, the voter turnout will be crucial to the results of the election.
Two other ballot measures are before voters today. In Washington state, voters will determine whether to approve or reject comprehensive domestic partnerships and in Kalamazoo, Mich., voters are asked whether to keep an inclusive non-discrimination ordinance on the books. Follow the returns tonight at HRCBackstory.org.
In more election news, Virginians are voting on candidates for statewide office that will have major ramifications for equality. Republican candidate Bob McDonnell, who is running for the gubernatorial seat, and Ken Cucinelli, the Republican attorney general candidate, are ardent opponents of LGBT equality. Last week Cucinelli stated, “Homosexual acts are intrinsically wrong,” while McDonnell wrote in his 1989 thesis, “The government should restrain, punish, and deter homosexuality in the interest of conservative family values.”
This past weekend, 25,000 people came out for the seventh annual Taipei Gay Pride event. Attendees flew flags and gathered outside the presidential office to show their desire for equal rights. The parade highlighted increasing support for the LGBT community in Taiwan. In 2003, Taiwan was the first Asian country to draft a bill that would legalize equal marriage; however, the law has yet to pass.
Laura Ricketts has become the first openly gay owner of a major league baseball team. Ricketts and her three siblings bought the Chicago Cubs and will control the team as the board of directors. Ricketts is an active member in the LGBT community where she serves on the board of Lambda Legal, a gay civil rights organization.
Gilbert Caldwell, a baggage agent for SkyWest Airlines, has plans to sue his employer because of discrimination. Caldwell claims that SkyWest refuses to give his husband the same benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy, which is in breach with a California state law that requires all employers to treat same-sex spouses equally.
That’s the news from us today, thanks for watching.
We’ll see you back here again tomorrow.