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 Tuesday, July 8th. I’m Candace Gingrich.
And I’m Brad Mayer. First up, news on presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
Yesterday, the Democratic National Committee announced Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat stadium home to the Denver Broncos. Obama is scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech on the final night of the convention, coinciding with the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The HRC-endorsed candidate, who is known for drawing huge crowds, is expected to help bump fundraising for the convention by speaking at the stadium.
During a panel discussion on a Fox news show, executive editor of conservative magazine Weekly Standard Fred Barnes said the McCain campaign will have to use GLBT issues in order to energize right-wing voters for the November election. Barnes claimed marriage equality and GLBT people serving in the military are not popular issues. Recent polls show over 60% of the public now favors gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military while other reports indicate support for marriage equality has increased since the 2004 election.
In other election news, Retired Congressman Jim Kolbe withdrew his support for Arizona Senate President Tim Bee’s congressional campaign. It is speculated that Kolbe, an openly gay politician, has severed ties with the Bee campaign over Bee’s support of a potential ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Arizona. Last Friday, the Arizona Senate placed a constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot.
The American Family Association is boycotting McDonald’s over the fast food chain's involvement with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. McDonald's recently gave a donation to the Chamber and was invited to have a company representative sit on the organization's board. This is not the first time the AFA has boycotted companies. Previous boycotts have included Disney, Ford, Proctor & Gamble and Kraft Foods, with financial analysts reporting that these had little to no effect on the businesses.
Memphis police are exploring the motives behind the murder of a transgender youth who may have been killed due to his gender expression. Local Memphis GLBT activists say they would not be surprised if 20 year old Rodney Whitaker was targeted for being transgender, saying transgender people are often the most likely people to be discriminated against in their community. So far, there are no suspects in Whitaker’s murder.
A sign posted outside a New York City Rite Aid has caused quite a commotion among customers because of its anti-gay and lesbian context. The sign demands that all gay and lesbian couples refrain from showing affection of any kind in the store. A spokesperson from Rite Aid insists that no employee posted the offensive sign and calls for the apprehension of the individual responsible.
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.