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 LGBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Friday, August 8th. I’m John Greene.
And I’m David Paul. First up, news from HRC.
HRC is pleased to announce that Emmy Award-winning television host and personal finance expert Suze Orman will be honored with the 2008 National Equality Award at the Twelfth Annual National Dinner in Washington, D.C. this October. This year, TIME Magazine named Orman one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Orman continues to raise the profile of LGBT Americans and educate the world about the financial hardships LGBT families face because of inequities in the nation’s federal laws. Tickets for the event may be reserved online at HRCnationaldinner.org.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist says he supports an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. Crist’s position on the issue had once been one of “live and let live,” but his tune has now changed in an attempt to bolster his appeal among conservative voters. In order for the amendment to pass, the measure must take 60 percent of the vote. In 2006, he signed a petition in support of placing the measure on the ballot but later spoke out against the state Republican party for contributing 300,000 dollars to the political action committee in charge of the measure.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has called for a moratorium on both consecrating gay bishops and holding blessings for same-sex unions, but in recently surfaced letters, the Anglican leader appears supportive of these relationships, writing that faithful same-sex relationships are “comparable to marriage” in the eyes of God. Williams also argued that abandoning condemnations of homosexuality is no different than discarding other Biblical prohibitions. The letters, obtained by England’s The Times and Daily Telegraph, were addressed to Deborah Pitt, a psychiatrist and evangelical Christian, and were written in 2000 and 2001 when he was the archbishop of Wales.
Earlier this week, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs said that the number of violent crimes against LGBT people is up significantly in 2008. Since the murder of 15 year-old Lawrence King and the beating of Duanna Johnson, there have been at least 13 other violent hate crimes committed against LGBT people. Many of the incidents occurred in late June and July, when LGBT visibility is high during gay pride celebrations.
Former President Bill Clinton announced at the International AIDS Conference that his foundation will shift its focus to fighting AIDS in the United States, particularly among black Americans. President Clinton said he made the decision after the U.S. Center for Disease Control reported that 40 percent more Americans are infected by HIV than previously estimated. The report also indicated that nearly half of all HIV infections in the U.S. are among black Americans.
A Tennessee man accused of killing two people and wounding six others during a church shooting is planning an insanity defense. Jim D. Adkisson, who targeted the church because of its liberal and pro-LGBT beliefs, is charged with a single count of first-degree murder and remains held on 1 million dollars bond. Prosecutors have agreed to move the case to the grand jury, which is expected to return an indictment with additional charges in a few weeks.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
We’ll be showcasing HRC’s great line of clothing every Friday here on Equally Speaking. Every purchase you make at HRC.org/shop goes toward the important work of the Human Rights Campaign. Thanks for watching, have a good weekend.