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, January
8th. I'm Brad Mayer.
And I'm Candace Gingrich. First up, an update on the presidential
primaries.
Today, voters in New Hampshire will go to the polls to indicate their
preferences for the Democratic and Republican nominees for President.
HRC has had a strong presence in New Hampshire for months with a field
office to educate and activate GLBT and allied voters in the primary
process. Stay tuned to HRC's Back Story blog for updates on the New
Hampshire race.
HRC will be teaming up with Out Front Minnesota and the Minnesota
Council of Nonprofits to hold ten caucus training workshops aimed at
training citizens to influence party platform development on GLBT
issues. The workshops, similar to those held in Iowa, will prepare
Minnesotans for their primaries on February 5th.
A transgender woman in San Francisco is suing a Catholic hospital for
discrimination. Charlene Hastings was told that "it's not in God's will"
for her to have breast enlargement surgery by a surgical coordinator at
the hospital. California law allows religiously affiliated hospitals to
refuse to provide abortions, but there is no specific religious
exemption allowing hospitals to deny transgender people elective
surgery.
Utah State Representative Christine Johnson has introduced legislation
that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's
anti-discrimination law. The bill faces a tough challenge in the state,
where most lawmakers are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. Among Utah's 2.7 million residents, there are about 50,000
self-identified gay, lesbian and bisexual adults living in Utah,
according to the Census Bureau.
A study by professors from the University of Pennsylvania and New York
University shows that elderly lesbians, gays and bisexuals can rely on
their network of friends when they are ill. The caregiving study was
conducted at the request of gays, lesbians and bisexuals who said they
were concerned about what would happen if they or their partner got
sick. The survey showed that elderly gays and lesbians are not only
willing to provide care for their partners and friends, but also to each
other.
The government of Ireland has announced that it will recognize same-sex
couples who were married or had civil partnerships in countries where
they are legal. Many gay and lesbian couples have gone to the UK for
civil partnerships or to Holland, Belgium or Canada to be married. Until
now those unions have not had any official status in Ireland.
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.