Equally Speaking
Equally Speaking
Monday, April 16, 2007
First up on HRC's daily webcast, it could be a bumpy road to civil unions in New Hampshire. A bill establishing civil unions was set to go to a vote this Wednesday in the New Hampshire state Senate. But now, the bill has stalled after Senate President Sylvia Larsen said she would delay the vote. Some state lawmakers said they think Governor John Lynch may have influenced Larsen's decision to push back the vote.
Fourteen candlelight vigils were held over the weekend across the state of Florida in memory of a man who was murdered for being gay. The victim, Ryan Skipper, was stabbed more than 20 times before being left in a ditch. Organizers of the vigils called on Congress to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes laws.
A new study has found that abstinence-only education programs don't affect students' sexual behavior. Students who took the abstinence classes had sex at the same age and had the same number of partners as students who did not take the classes. The Bush administration currently spends about $176 million on the failed abstinence programs each year, which discriminate against GLBT youth.
Next, an update in the continuing story of the city manager in Largo, Florida, who was fired for being transgender. Steve Stanton said that he will not sue the city, but will instead focus on education and advocacy. Said Stanton, "It is tempting to seek retribution in the courts, but after much reflection and soul-searching, I just cannot find it within my heart to sue Largo."
And in entertainment news, another round of media awards were given out on Saturday by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Winners included Jennifer Aniston, Martina Navratilova and the film Little Miss Sunshine. The show "Grey's Anatomy," whose star Isaiah Washington generated controversy for using an anti-gay slur, the F-word, also won an award for a gay-themed episode.