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 Friday, April 18th. I'm Sarah Birnie.
And I'm David Paul. First up, news from Utah.
Domestic partners began registering their relationships with the city of Salt Lake on Thursday. The registry was unanimously approved by city council in February. The "mutual commitment" registry is open to adult unmarried couples who live together in an interdependent relationship.
Lawrence J. Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan, has called for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" the ban on GLBT individuals serving openly in the military. Testifying before a joint hearing of two U.S. House subcommittees, Korb called on Congress to "get rid of outmoded social restrictions," such as the discriminatory military policy.
A major corporation is reportedly having reservations about relocating to Oklahoma City in light of comments by state Rep. Sally Kern that gays are a worse threat than terrorists. A local newspaper reports that Staubach, a company that helps corporations relocate, is having trouble selling the city to its client. The unnamed company had not made up its mind but was seriously concerned following the publicity over Kern's remarks.
For the second time in a year, police have raided the offices of the Lambda Istanbul Cultural Center, the largest LGBT civil rights organization in Turkey. The raid took place 10 days before a court hearing in a case against Lambda Istanbul brought by the Istanbul Governor's Office, accusing the group of violating Turkish "moral values and its family structure."
The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments in an interstate child custody dispute between two former lesbian partners this week. A lawyer for Lisa Miller argued that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriages and civil unions means the state shouldn't enforce a child visitation order from the Vermont courts. A lawyer for Janet Jenkins said a federal law says custody and visitation orders in one state must be enforced in others as well.
The Polk County, Iowa, attorney's office has filed a response to legal documents opposing the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The county attorney calls the "friend of the court" brief filed by marriage equality proponents and Massachusetts lawmakers "inadmissible hearsay anecdotal remarks." The brief was filed in support of Lambda Legal, which filed a 2005 lawsuit that resulted in a Polk County ruling that Iowa's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional.
That's the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
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