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, June 13th. I’m Sarah Birnie.
And I’m Janice Hughes. First up, news from the nation's capital.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has directed his interim attorney general to review the legal options for local gay and lesbian couples who get married in California. Although California law does not require those who marry to be residents of the state, there is uncertainty about whether D.C. will recognize the marriages performed there. A similar review was conducted four years ago, but the findings have never been released. The mayor also says he plans to march in D.C.’s Pride Parade this weekend as part of the Capital Pride Festival.
At a Center for American Progress forum yesterday, Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin expressed optimism that Congress would address employment non-discrimination and hate crimes bills next session. Baldwin, the only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives, lamented, however, that legislation aimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is less likely to be successful. She did say that the time is ripe to more closely consider the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act.
A new poll shows that more than half of New Yorkers agree that state agencies should recognize marriages for gay and lesbian couples performed outside of the state. The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, further indicates that forty-two percent of respondents agree that gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry. However, the poll also shows that fifty-five percent of respondents think Governor David Paterson should let the State Legislature decide on the matter of marriage recognition.
Yesterday, a Superior Court judge in Rhode Island refused to hear the divorce case of a lesbian couple and questioned the constitutionality of the law that originally barred them from getting divorced. The Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled last year that the state’s family court could not grant a divorce to Margaret Chambers and Cassandra Ormiston, who wed in 2004 in Massachusetts. The Superior Court judge said the case should be decided in family court.
A recent article in The New York Times reveals that social scientists are researching gay and lesbian couples to gain insight into achieving healthy marriages. According to the article, scientists found gay and lesbian couples are far more egalitarian in their relationships and resolve conflicts more quickly than straight couples. Conversely, the research also suggests that the perception of gay and lesbian couples as uncommitted puts an immense strain on those relationships. Researchers believe this is likely a result of the lack of legal recognition and, in turn, accountability for such couples.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has added two longtime gay advocates to his LGBT election team, former Stonewall Democrats Executive Director and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Dave Noble and current Executive Director of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council Brian Bond. Noble has been named Director of the LGBT Vote and Bond is now Director of Constituencies.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
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