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, February 26th. I’m.
And I’m . First up, an update on HRC’s response to the Lawrence King murder.
Last night, HRC and a coalition of GLBT organizations led by GLSEN hosted a candlelight vigil in Washington, DC in memory of hate crime victim Lawrence King. The vigil’s purpose was to call for an end to violence and harassment directed at gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in schools. For more information on upcoming vigils across the nation, visit http://www.rememberinglawrence.org/.
A Florida man is raising money to create a traveling memorial to GLBT hate crime victims. So far, about 25,000 dollars has been raised. A model of the memorial will be unveiled this Friday at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens.
A Utah bill that would allow unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to adopt is expected to die in committee. With only seven days left in the legislative session, it is unlikely the bill will get a hearing. Currently, Utah law only allows married couples or single people to adopt.
The National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute have established the Bayard Rustin Award to honor research about GLBT African-Americans in electoral politics. The award is named for Bayard Rustin, the openly gay, African-American civil rights activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington.
Michael Hayden, a Jamaican police officer who came out as gay in a Jamaican newspaper this month, is seeking asylum in Canada. Hayden says he has received death threats since the story ran. He hopes to relocate to Canada where he can safely speak up on behalf of other GLBT Jamaicans.
Massachusetts’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, does not recognize same-sex marriages, despite Massachusetts being the only state where same-sex marriage is legal. This is because MassHealth relies partially on federal funding, which does not recognize same-sex spouses. The MassHealth Equality Bill, which would require the state to pick up the cost of services to same-sex spouses not covered by federal funds, is currently stalled in committee.
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.