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 Tuesday, August 12th. I’m Brad Mayer.
And I’m Sarah Birnie. First up, news from HRC.
Yesterday, following the release of the Democratic National Committee’s National Platform, HRC President Joe Solmonese applauded the efforts of LGBT members of the committee, including Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Diego Sanchez, the first-ever transgender member of the Platform Committee and a member of HRC's Business Council and Boston Steering Committee. According to Solmonese, this year’s platform strengthens past support for legislation that would protect our community, including support for comprehensive employment discrimination protections and hate crimes legislation. Solmonese also called for the Republican Party to adopt equally supportive language in their platform.
An article in the Dallas Morning News revealed that Hispanics in Texas are getting tested for HIV less frequently and much later than any other ethnic group, fueling the spread of infection in a segment of the population that has already been hit hard by the epidemic. Federal and state officials estimate that at least 19 percent of gay Hispanic men under 30 have HIV in Dallas, compared with an average of 17 percent in other major U.S. cities. HIV/AIDS professionals say the cultural emphasis on masculinity and privacy leads to a double stigma for gay Hispanic men.
Tammy Baldwin, Congress’s only open lesbian, has joined Barack Obama’s national gay leadership and policy committee as the group’s co-chair. She supports Obama’s intention to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and pass laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination in employment. Baldwin previously served as the head of Hillary Clinton’s gay leadership team.
There are six openly gay or lesbian athletes competing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Representing the United States is 25-year-old Natasha Kai from Hawaii, a forward on the women’s soccer team. Australia, Germany and Norway are home to the remaining five athletes competing for Olympic gold.
A remembrance vigil is being planned in Liverpool, England, for murdered 18-year-old Michael Causer, a gay teen who is believed to be the victim of a hate crime. The vigil is the first step in an initiative launched by local police and city council to combat crime motivated by hatred of LGBT people in the city. A study conducted earlier in the year reveals that one in five of the estimated 3.6 million LGBT people in Britain have been a victim of hate crime.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow morning.