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 Thursday, August 21st. I’m Candace Gingrich.
And I’m Brad Mayer. First up, news from New Jersey.
A new poll reveals the majority of New Jersey favors marriage for same-sex couples over civil unions. The poll, commissioned by Garden State Equality, found that 59 percent of New Jerseyans would approve the changing of the civil union law to marriage equality. A majority of those polled also expressed that they want Governor Corzine to follow in the footsteps of New York Governor David Paterson, who recently ordered state agencies to recognize legal out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples in New York.
In Connecticut, a coalition of marriage equality opponents and taxpayer groups is trying to persuade voters to approve a state constitutional convention in the hopes of bringing the initiative petition process to the state. If approved, groups opposed to marriage equality could push for ballot initiatives that would ban marriage for same-sex couples. So far, groups against the constitutional convention have out fundraised groups who support it.
Opponents of a proposal that would ban unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children announced they plan to challenge the measure in court if it is approved for the fall general election ballot. A spokesperson for Arkansas Families First said the group is already preparing to petition the Arkansas Supreme Court. The group raised over 13,000 dollars last month, putting them in a better financial position than the sponsors of the proposed ban.
An independent group of LGBT Barack Obama supporters launched a new website designed to convince the 15 percent of LGBT voters who are still undecided on which presidential candidate to vote for. LGBT for Obama dot com was started by Terry Bean, a member of HRC’s Foundation Board, in hopes of swaying LGBT voters away from voting for John McCain. The website will feature guest blog posts from former HRC executive director Elizabeth Birch, blogger Pam Spaulding, Reverend Gene Robinson, and others.
A Texas jury found that a man who killed a male flight attendant because he hates LGBT people is guilty of a hate crime. The jury previously gave Terry Mark Mangum, who pleaded not guilty due to insanity, a life sentence. Mangum won’t be eligible for parole until 30 years into his sentence.
Teachers and staff in a Florida school district which was at the center of a long legal battle over gay/straight alliances have begun sensitivity trainings in their classrooms. The Holmes County School District set up the training sessions after losing a federal court battle over the rights of students to start LGBT groups on campus. The principal who banned students from organizing gay/straight alliances has been fired.
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.