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 Wednesday, July 30th. I’m Cuc Vu.
And I’m Candace Gingrich. First up, news from Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts House yesterday voted 118 to 35 to repeal a 1913 law used to bar the marriages of same-sex couples from states which would not recognize their unions. The Senate passed the bill two weeks ago and Governor Deval Patrick has said he will sign the measure. Some supporters of the bill say the repeal of the law will provide an economic boom for the state.
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment in California that would ban marriage for same-sex couples say they are filing a lawsuit to block a change made to the language of the ballot measure. Attorney General Jerry Brown recently changed the language to say that Proposition 8 seeks to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry." Some activists say the change could help to defeat the measure, citing polls that show that highlighting the removal of rights can add up to 10 percentage points to "no" votes.
The Arizona State Senate Ethics Committee agreed to hold hearings on whether a senator intentionally broke the Legislature's rules in order to win approval for a ballot initiative that would ban marriage for same-sex couples. Senator Ken Cheuvront recently filed a complaint against Senator Jack Harper, saying Harper illegally interrupted a filibuster to allow lawmakers to vote on the ban. The hearing will not affect the ballot measure but could result in a formal reprimand for Harper.
Knoxville, Tennessee’s chief of police says a man who killed two people in a Unitarian Universalist church was motivated by a strong hatred for liberals and GLBT people. A letter written by the suspect, Jim Adkisson, and discovered by police, describes his belief that “liberals are ruining the country and must be stopped.” Adkisson offered identical sentiments in interrogation. The church works for racial harmony and women’s and GLBT rights.
On Monday, Blue Cross Blue Shield settled a lawsuit by a Buffalo, New York, lesbian couple who married in Canada and were previously refused health coverage. Now that New York State recognizes valid out-of-state marriages of gay and lesbian couples, the state’s highest court has upheld a ruling from a similar case in Rochester which recognized the couple’s marriage as valid. The couple was represented by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which argued that many other New York insurers have been recognizing same-sex couples’ valid out-of-state marriages for years.
U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has pledged to fight Florida’s proposed constitutional ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Amendment 2 will appear on Florida’s ballot in November, and, if passed, would also ban civil unions and domestic partnerships in the state, many of which are enjoyed by heterosexual partners. Ros-Lehtinen, who also supports repealing the military’s “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy, is ranked by HRC as being among the most supportive Republican House members on GLBT issues.
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.