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 GLBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Thursday, April 17th. I’m John Greene.
And I’m Heidi Williams. First up, news from Illinois.
A measure in the Illinois state House that would have given pension benefits to the same-sex partners of teachers has failed. Supporters of the legislation said the change would not have cost taxpayers anything, as teachers would have paid all costs. But Representative Ron Stephens, who opposed the bill, called it "an important error in judgment."
A new report shows the number of same-sex couples in Hawaii is growing. The number of same-sex couples who are raising children is also on the rise in the state. The study was conducted by the Williams Institute of UCLA.
Same-sex couples who enter into marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships in one state are finding it difficult to legally end their relationships if they move to another state. For example, Rhode Island’s top court has ruled that same-sex couples married in Massachusetts can’t get divorced. In Missouri, a judge is in the process of deciding whether a married lesbian couple can get an annulment.
A coalition of GLBT rights advocates is asking Ventura County, California prosecutors to try 14-year-old Brandon McInerney as a juvenile and not as an adult. McInerney has been chared as an adult in the fatal February 12th shooting of 15-year-old Lawrence King. King is believed to have been shot for being gay and gender variant.
An oil refinery worker in Texas who is in the process of gender transitioning is suing KT Maintenance Company for discrimination. The worker claims the company engaged in sexual stereotyping and refused to provide an appropriate bathroom at the job site. The worker also alleges KT Maintenance chose to terminate employment rather than accommodate transgender needs.
The Brazilian Health Ministry has launched an educational campaign to encourage gay men to use condoms. The campaign is in response to an alarming increase in HIV rates among young men over a two-year period. The change parallels similar rate increases in the United States.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
Have a great day, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow morning.