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 Monday, April 21st. I’m Sarah Birnie.
And I’m Tommy Lodge. First up, the latest in election news.
Tomorrow, Pennsylvanians head to the polls for the first Democratic primary in more than a month. Senators Clinton and Obama have both courted GLBT voters, who make up about five percent of the state’s voters. It’s difficult to know how well either candidate is doing in the GLBT community as pollsters typically do not separate GLBT people as a demographic group when conducting surveys.
Colorado state Senator Greg Brophy angered many last week when he argued a bill that would expand the prohibition of sexual orientation-based discrimination was unnecessary. He said he saw no evidence gays and lesbians are discriminated against when job or house hunting. As part of his argument, he proposed a stunt amendment banning discrimination against short people.
Representatives from the Rangers hockey team have met with GLBT advocacy groups to discuss concerns about anti-GLBT slurs that are regularly shouted at Rangers games. They discussed making a public service announcement and requiring more sensitivity training for Rangers employees. The meeting came one month after the publication of a New York Times article about fans’ frustration with team officials who refused to address the problem.
A California judge has dismissed felony charges against two men accused of attacking Yale University singers in San Francisco. The judge said the prosecutors lacked evidence for the felony charges. Witnesses said the men beat and kicked the singers while shouting anti-GLBT epithets.
In Italy, a mob of young people attacked Rome’s GLBT center last week while members were inside. The teenagers yelled anti-GLBT and anti-Semitic slogans, and praised former dictator Benito Mussolini while they ransacked the building. The attack is believed to be linked to Italy’s current electoral climate.
Uruguay has become the first Latin American nation to allow a gay couple to marry. They married under the cohabitation union law, which went into effect January 1st. The law allows same and opposite-sex couples living together for at least five years to receive the same legal rights and benefits as marriage.
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.