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 dose of LGBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Thursday, November 5th. I’m Bradley Mayer.
And I’m Janice Hughes. First up, a new study shows striking similarities between same and opposite sex married couples.
A new study released by the Census bureau shows that same-sex couples who identify as 'married' are strikingly similar to opposite-sex couples. Same sex couples had an average age of 52 and household incomes of $91,000, while 31 percent were raising children. Married heterosexual couples had an average age of 50, household income of $95,000 and 43 percent raising children.
Two homophobic attacks in Washington, D.C., were reported over the last five days. In one, a young women wearing a t-shirt expressing support for LGBT rights was confronted by two men in their late 20s, pushed to the ground and struck with her own backpack. In the other, a young man was attacked by a man wearing red and white face paint. He reported to the hospital afterward, and both victims were Georgetown University students. Two rallies have been held on campus in support of both the young man and women.
Dan DeLong, an Illinois high school teacher, has been reinstated. DeLong was suspended after giving his 10th grade students a reading assignment on homosexuality in the animal kingdom. Some 200 students and parents attended a school board meeting in support of DeLong’s reinstatement.
Allegations of excessive force used by Fort Worth police officers during a raid on a local gay bar have been dismissed. No officers will be fired from the department after complaints were filed by those arrested at the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Two agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have been fired for their actions during the raid.
Annise Parker, the openly lesbian candidate for Houston’s mayor, earned enough votes on Tuesday to force a runoff election against Gene Locke and Peter Brown. Parker garnered 31 percent of the vote, more than either of her two competitors, but since no candidate achieved 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election is required, and will be held in December.
Chapel Hill elected its first openly gay mayor on Tuesday. Mark Kleinschmidt beat his main opponent with 49 percent of the vote, and is the third openly gay mayor in the state of North Carolina.